Poem
Second Nature
| Title | Second Nature |
|---|---|
| Author | Paul Muldoon |
Instances of Publication
A published appearance of this poem.
| Collection/Anthology | Year of Publication | Medium | View Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Fifty Minute Mermaid | 2007 | Print Collection | View Details |
Publication Instance Details #792
Collection/Anthology Details
| Collection/Anthology | The Fifty Minute Mermaid |
|---|---|
| Date of Publication | 2007 |
| Publisher | The Gallery Press (Ireland) |
| Page Number(s) | 99, 101 |
Publication Overview
| Translation | Is Multilingual | Explicit Irish Context? | Ekphrasis | Has Paratext? | Reference to News, Media or Technology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Details
| Human Rights Issues | |
|---|---|
| Irish Context | |
| Languages | |
| Original Language | |
| Original Poem | |
| Original Author | |
| Genre | Part Of Lyric Sequence |
| Medium | Print Collection |
| Notes | This sequence of poems, 'Na Murúcha a Thriomnaigh', makes use of the international folk tale of the mermaid to construct an allegorical world in which the merpeople have left the water and now live uneasily among humankind on earth. The speaker of this poem describes a supernatural kidnapping attempt by a merman, who enchants a girl's apron and attempts to carry her off. This is reminiscent of the usual 'fairy abduction' tales in Irish and European folklore. The speaker connects this event to the power of 'heredity', possibly implying that the merman had no choice but to act in this manner. The Great Famine and Irish cultural loss is understood to be implicit in this sequence of poems. |
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