Boland essay help

Coeurdepirate

For our Christmas test we have to write an essay on Boland, learn it and reproduce it in the test. However, I've never written a Poetry essay before, so I don't have a clue what to do! Can somebody give me some points to write about, and perhaps the structure of an essay?

The poems we've done are:
The War Horse
Child of Our Time
This Moment
The Famine Road
Love
White Hawthorne in the West of Ireland

and the question is:
"Eavan Boland explores both the public and the private in her poetry"
Write your response to this statement focusing on both themes and stylistic features. Support your points with the aid of suitable reference to the poem.

Thanks a lot!

Aoifey!

I loved Boland, but I can only remember bits now (I did Leaving Cert last year).

For The War Horse you could talk about how it's public in how the horse is a symbol for war that effects everyone, but it is also how she feels personally like her garden is being invaded.

Just a thought, hope it helps

EDIT: I forgot about structure. There's 2 ways you can structure it, you'll always have your introduction and conclusion, but for the paragraphs inbetween you can have a paragraph per poem or a paragraph per point and talk about a few poems into each paragraph. I always found per poem easier, but it's whatever works for you.

Patri

Hello Well I can tell you as a person who wrote two fairly good Boland essays this year for English, the key is to enjoying it :P Seriously, I know that may seem difficult to grasp but just explore each poem and how it influences you Like for "The War Horse" and "Child of our time" the real influences on me were the total lack of apathy expressed by the general public, and the absolute chaos caused, that was both needless and incredibly sinister! All about the North's troubles and the Dublin and Monaghan bombings! It's really intersting Just link each poem with a common trait. Her Views on women in society is a reoccuring theme, often again! Just write what you feel It's YOUR essay, make it your own .


But know your facts