Poem

On Leaving Ireland

Title On Leaving Ireland
Author Thomas Kettle

Instances of Publication

A published appearance of this poem.

Collection/Anthology Year of Publication Medium View Details
Poems and Parodies 1916 Print Collection View Details
Publication Instance Details #2420
Collection/Anthology Details
Collection/Anthology Poems and Parodies
Date of Publication 1916
Publisher Duckworth & Co. (England)
Page Number(s) 17
Publication Overview
Translation Is Multilingual Explicit Irish Context? Ekphrasis Has Paratext? Reference to News, Media or Technology
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Details
Human Rights Issues
War / Genocide Referenced
Irish Context
Languages
Genre Short Lyric
Medium Print Collection
Paratext Text (July 14, 1916) The pathos of departure is indubitable. I never felt my own essay "On saying Good-Bye" so profoundly aux tréfonds du coeur. The sun was a clear globe of blood which we caught hanging over Ben Edar, with a trail of pure blood vibrating to us across the waves. It dropped into darkness before we left the deck. Some lines came to me, suggested by a friend who thought the mood cynical.
Notes This poem suggests the narrator's awareness of his impending death. Paratext and mention of a 'bayonet-flash' suggest WW1.
Is bunachar beo é seo. Entries continue to be updated.