Ireland, Romantic or otherwise – Is it dead and gone? If Yeats were alive today how would he view Europe’s influence on our nation’s future? Yeats poetry maybe not be modern, the values in many of his poems are still relevant to today’s culture as our society is continually faced with the same predicaments, maybe even on a larger scale. For this reason he remains universal and still influential even in today’s troubling times. Ireland’s apathetic attitude in times of hardship would not be appreciated and Yeats and his values, who was a devoted patriot.
In the economic climate, with Ireland’s future in the hands of Europe, should we be suppressed by Europe’s control over us? Or, like Yeats, should we return to all things Irish, by a re-introduction of the Irish language, and become a nationalist community. We remember the men and women who gave up their life fighting for Ireland’s independence. Yeats refers to this sacrifice of life, suggesting that we have the ability and capability to evoke change. If all of us citizens passionately longed to be rid of Europe’s influence on our nation we would act on our pursuit of change and take responsibility and affirm our Irish identity.Although it would be futile if change was achieved by events and Irish people were to be lost and forgotten.
Yeats assert the need to continue the works of change and independence otherwise the change could be revert and no longer relevant. Today’s crisis including war, health, a recession and climate change are becoming further down our list of priorities. We are an apathetic society who’s concerns are only our own. The age in which we live in is a very materialistic one.Even in Yeats time, we see him attack the collusion between banks, politicians and developers that exist in contemporary Ireland. We need to find a voice to speak out against Europe’s involvement with our cherished nation.
Just like Yeats spoke out against the harsh nationalist policies of the time. Will Europe divide our society and then will we need to be freed from their oppression? If Ireland declared war overnight, how many young men would be willing to defend and serve their country, knowing that there is a chance that they may not return.It is in our history to fight and rebel impostures placed on us. They might not always be successful but they demonstrate our courage, bravery and nerve which had been diminished through the years. We need to become engaged in our Irish culture once more and not to be affected by globalisation. We need to ask ourselves can we, the Irish, maintain our local and regional cultures and traditions, with a sense of core values and connection to tradition and place, in a world that is characterised more and more by depersonalising, ex-urban experience.
