The Purge

Publication Instance Details #1846

Publication Overview

Translation	Is Multilingual	Explicit Irish Context?	Ekphrasis	Has Paratext?	Reference to News, Media or Technology
Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No

Details

Human Rights Issues	War Genocide
War / Genocide Referenced	Genocide: Holocaust
Irish Context	Specific Irish place or place-name mentioned Irish Language/Culture Political Independence (Ireland) The Troubles/Sectarian Tensions (Ireland)
Languages	English
Original Language	Irish Irish Irish
Original Poem	An Phurgóid
Original Author	Míchéal Ó hAirtnéide
Genre	Long (narrative) Poem
Medium	Print Collection
Paratext Text	for Arthur and Vera Ward
Notes	This long narrative poem is a morose and often humorous reflection on the role of the poet in society. There are many mythological, philosophical, and historical references in the poem: Plato, Emmet, Christ, Icarus, Méabh, Zeus, Venus, Jove, Gráinne, Deadalus, Hegel, Freud, Nietszche, Bergson, Buddha, Lao Tzu, Kant, Aristotle, Schopenhauer, Dante. Poet reflects on wordcraft, the meaning of poetry, and what it means to be a poet. Much of the discussion of poetry is tongue-in-cheek and acerbic in tone. Notably, the Holocaust is mentioned in the poem as something that the 'poet' in the poem would like to forget. So too is mentioned the eternal conflict and warmongering of the human race.