1. WEEK 4 PRESENTATION
Thomas McCarthy’s, The Poet of the Mountains
&
Paul Durcan’s, Wife Who Smashed Television Gets Jail
Stefan DiCrosta
ENGL 3122
Analysis of:
2. McCarthy’s, The Poet of the Mountains (1984)
• First, we have a speaker referring to a woman and her everyday doings - giving the impression
of the contentedness of ritualistic, simple living.
“Every Sunday she prepared the brown oak table for breakfast and listened to new writers…”
• But the tone quickly changes when the speaker introduces “English” words
which the speaker had heard when young, but seemed to negatively affect
the sort of purity described before.
“The English words that broke across her small kitchen were seldom spoken when
she was young.”
• The thought and imposition of England, gives us the sense that it somewhat
tainted her childhood the speaker reminisces.
“Then, it was all Irish: Those brown words had curled about her childhood like
collies home from a long cattle-crush…Where she picked bluebells with her uncle
and caught words off the air as they fell.”
http://www.wildflowersofireland.net/plant_detail.php?id_flower=31
Bluebell Wildflower
McCarthy, Thomas. ”The Poet of the Mountains.” Contemporary Irish Poetry, edited by Anthony Bradley, University of California Press, 1988, page 499.
3. McCarthy’s, The Poet of the Mountains (1984)
• Later, we have the acknowledgement of the domestic sphere and the constant working required of
women. The unnamed woman the speaker is describing, is a part of the traditional sense of a woman
(note: the “kneel” may refer to the kneeling of bread, not the bowing down to another).
“She had spent all her days in the company of women…All their days were taken up in a great swell of work. They had
to wash, sew, milk and kneel.”
• There is a reference to the healing or restorative powers of nature and its’ elements. In the midst of all
the tiresome work this woman undergoes, she seems to meditate to the calming aspect of nature.
“…I imagine, she would lie awake and listen to the mountains for her own sake…listen to the linen wind…”
• Finally, there is an attribution of the purity and solace in being around her children, providing her
with the same fulfilling sense of “home” that she found while walking the woods in Ireland.
“She would steal into the children’s room to dream and write; To be a whole person, a picker of bluebells.”
McCarthy, Thomas. ”The Poet of the Mountains.” Contemporary Irish Poetry, edited by Anthony Bradley, University of California Press, 1988, page 499.
4. The Poet of the Mountains: Themes
• The benefits of living the traditional and simple lifestyle.
- Though, English rule seems to somehow implicate this idea.
• The power of the homeland on the individual (in this case rural Ireland).
• The imposition of England on Irish rule.
- Hence the desire of the woman or “poet” in wanting to return to the mountains and picking bluebells.
• Reimagining a woman’s perspective.
- It seems a long life of working can bare a heavy weight upon the woman’s state of well-being, though
she finds another sense of support in a community of other women alike her.
• Children.
- Seems to be a source or catalyst for the woman’s dreams and writing – who she wants to be, or
who she wishes to return to be.
• Healing powers of nature
”…listen to the mountains for her own sake.” Though what is at stake here? Is it the woman’s
wellbeing, or something more than that?
5. Durcan’s, Wife Who Smashed Television Gets Jail (1976)
• First off, the poem is told as a recounting or reporting of events from who seems to be the
husband of the family, describing the events which transpired to who presumably is a judge or
lawmaker - someone with sentencing powers.
“She came home, my Lord, and smashed-in the television…”
• The lack of punctuation in the lines makes the poem seem rant-like, or lines expressed with a
sense of distress, excitement or concern over what had just happened.
• We have the presence of children; who, under the supervision of their father, were acting
wrongly. Deeply displeasuring their mother who seemed to kick in the television out of her
anger (referencing most powerful and influential Queen Maeve of apx. 50BCE).
“I remember the moment exactly because Kojak after shooting a dame with the same name as my wife snarled at
the corpse – Goodnight, Queen Maeve – And then she took off her boots and smashed-in the television…”
• The child figuratively shooting the television (which the mother felt represents her lack of
presence around family) and that was what justified her actions in smashing the television.
“Saying – I didn’t get married to a television and I don’t see why my kids or anybody else’s kids should have a
television for a father or mother…”
Durcan, Paul. ”Wife Who Smashed Television Gets Jail.” Contemporary Irish Poetry, edited by Anthony Bradley, University of California Press, 1988, page 365.
6. Durcan’s, Wife Who Smashed Television Gets Jail (1976)
• We see how divided the mother and father are in their sense of how time should be spent
together as a family. The father seems to believe that as long as they are physically together,
that is enough, despite the lack of communication. Although, the mother seems to infuriated by
technology and how emotionally dulled it has made her children. She feels like they would be
better together at a pub (a place unfit for children), where they would have no choice but to
actually speak to one another.
“Justice O’Brádaigh said wives who preferred bar-billiards to family television were a threat to the family which
was the basic unit of society.”
• We have unsatisfying evidence and a poor conviction of a mother. She was more than justified
in wanting to have a better family dynamic, so she was right in smashing the television which
drove them apart. These lines demonstrate the flaws of the justice system at the time.
“…when as in this case wives expressed their preference in forms of violence Jail was the only place for them.
Leave to appeal was refused.”
• Despite the smashing of a television to be violent in nature, it was not like she verbally or
physically assaulted anyone. Her actions seem rather miniscule to be worthy of jail time.
Durcan, Paul. ”Wife Who Smashed Television Gets Jail.” Contemporary Irish Poetry, edited by Anthony Bradley, University of California Press, 1988, page 365.
7. Wife Who Smashed Television Gets Jail: Themes
• The Family: the husband, the wife, the children…and the television?
- In this case the television is an acting member of the family.
• Women: (1) the power they behold.
(2) the oppression as a result of society and justice systems.
- Kicking in the television was an act of defiance and rebellion against both husband and society.
• Ireland’s greater conception of family structure and power relations;
- Despite how dysfunctional a marriage may be, do you really think kicking in a television is appropriate
grounds for reporting one’s wife to the authorities, never mind getting sentenced without appeal…?
• Children.
- The kids were simply watching their favorite show…would they actually be better off in a pub-setting?
8. Similarities / Differences
■ Whereas in The Poet of the Mountains, the speaker describes the woman finding a sort of mental
escape through the sounds of the mountains; in Wife Who Smashed Television Gets Jail, the mother
finds escape through what seems to be spending time at the pub drinking. Although, the pub may
very well be an outlet of her frustrations from the lack of compassion her children and husband
show her.
■ Both feature women, but in different situations. McCarthy’s seems to emphasize the satisfaction of
a traditional lifestyle, and playing the role of a “good wife”. Though this idea sometimes may be
overbearing and tiresome. Durcan’s presents notions of the marginalization of a “bad wife”, who in
this case is a mother driven to the point of rebellion, but her actions appear to be rightly so.
■ Each poem acknowledges larger society in some aspect. The Poet of the Mountains takes on a
more rural and self-sufficient view on life; whereas in Wife Who Smashed Television Gets Jail, it
seems to take on a more urban, materialistic and technological view on life.
■ Both present mother’s as the source of unity and togetherness. McCarthy’s poem features the
domestic mother who's kids are only mentioned sleeping peacefully and who's room features
inspiring elements. Although in Durcan’s poem, the mother wants to be with her family, but it
seems like they don’t want to be with her, or at least have been dulled from her love or vice-versa.
9. Questions:
• Do you think these poems have any relevance today? Especially
Durcan’s poem with all the advancements in technology…
• What do you think the biggest takeaways from both poems to be?
• With Poet of the Mountains written in 84’ and Wife Who Smashed
Television Gets Jail written in 76’, do you think time had any
impact on these poems?
• Did you have any different interpretations, opinions or
commentaries after your readings?
