White Hawthorne in the West of Ireland: Key Quotes

Overview of Key Quotes

In this exploration of Boland’s “White Hawthorn in the West of Ireland”, specific lines of text will be analysed and referenced, helping you decode the symbolic language and themes she employs in this poignant poem.

Quote One: “thorn heart / open to the wind”

The hawthorn tree’s ‘thorn heart’ is emblematic of how the Irish people have endured hardship.
The phrase ‘open to the wind’ implies vulnerability, further enforced by the harsh environment often associated with the nature of wind.
Boland could also, however, be hinting at resilience in the face of adversity in this line, a trait often associated with the Irish.

Quote Two: “door / ah surely it was too narrow”

The ‘door’ can be seen as a literal and symbolic gateway connecting Ireland’s past sorrows with its hopeful future.
Its narrowness corresponds to the minimal opportunities and freedoms afforded to the Irish throughout their tumultuous history.
Boland uses this line to remind readers of the restrictions and barriers which have shaped Ireland’s past.

Quote Three: “nothing that is can console in me / the child who was in a dark April once”

Here, Boland is expressing her inability to soothe her past self – the ‘child’ who experienced dark times in April, a month usually associated with renewal and rebirth.
This contradiction emphasizes the devastation caused by the historical events she discusses in the poem.
‘Nothing that is’ implies a sense of desolation, emphasizing a feeling of loss and disconnect with the child she once was.

Quote Four: “Always in the distance / the sound of water escaping memory”

‘Water escaping memory’ is a potent metaphor for the steady erosion of Ireland’s cultural and historical heritage.
The constant ‘sound’ implies a sense of inevitability and relentlessness, reinforcing the idea of an unchangeable past.
The use of ‘distance’ gives the impression of fading, underlining Boland’s lament over the potential loss of collective memory.

Overall Analysis

Understanding these key quotes will help to unlock the powerful narrative of suffering, resilience and memory in “White Hawthorn in the West of Ireland”. Each line of Boland’s works like this is not just rich in metaphorical language but is also often imbued with a great deal of historical and cultural significance.