From the Irish of Pangur Ban (for Mairin): Poet & Context

Eavan Boland and Her Poetry Context

Boland’s Irish heritage greatly informs her work, and she frequently draws from Celtic mythology, language and history.
Her themes often reconcile the violence of Irish history with the quietness of suburban life.

Boland’s work eschews the traditional, male-dominated canonical themes of poetry and instead focuses on the experiences of being a woman and a mother.
Feminine experiences, cultural narratives and Irish life intertwine in Boland’s work to create poetry which is deeply personal yet widely profound.

Born in Ireland, Boland spent part of her childhood in London and New York. These experiences of living as an Irish migrant resonate in her work.
Her experience of feeling both at home and out of place in these different locations is often explored in her poetry.

This poem is Boland’s interpretation of an old Irish poem originally written by a monk in the 9th Century.
The poem explores the congruity between the poet’s craft and that of Pangur, the monk’s white cat.

The poem depicts the monk and the cat as isolated beings, each engrossed in their own tasks. The monk is consumed by his scholarly work while the cat is single-mindedly hunting mice.
This mirrors the artist’s process and the solitude often endured for the sake of creating.

As with other works by Boland, the relatively ordinary is here transformed into something of deeper significance.
The simple pleasures of the cat, paralleled with the monk’s spiritual quest, highlights the value of all forms of everyday pursuits.

Boland’s choice to reinterpret this classic Old Irish poem can also be seen as a way of celebrating her Irish identity.
By putting her own, modern spin on this ancient text, Boland unites the cultural, historical and personal experiences that inform her poetry.

“This Moment”: The attention to ordinary, mundane scenes is notable in both this poem and “From the Irish of Pangur Bán”. Boland provides depth and insight through her detailed observation of these everyday moments.
“Domestic Violence”: In this poem, Boland reflects on another aspect of Irish history - sectarian violence - as part of her exploration of domestic life. The parallel drawn between national history and personal experiences is also observed in “From the Irish of Pangur Bán”.
“Eviction”: Boland’s manipulation of Irish history to illustrate personal, contemporary themes can also be seen in this poem. Just as Boland breathes new life into the old Irish poem, she also reimagines the familiar story of the Irish evictions in order to illuminate modern injustices.