'Ní Chuilleanáin's poetry communicates powerful feelings through thought-provoking images and symbols' - A Response by Lauren McCutcheon

Ní Chuilleanáin communicates powerful feelings in her poems; each one contains thought-provoking imagery and symbols that evoke the readers' emotions and add deep meaning to her words. This is especially evident in 'The Second Voyage', 'On Lacking the Killer Instinct', 'The Bend in the Road', and 'To Niall Woods and Xenya Ostrovskaia, married in Dublin on 9 September 2009.'

In 'The Second Voyage' the poet opens with a startling image of the Greek hero, Odysseus, at sea. The reader quickly learns that he is alone aboard a small craft, and is struggling to navigate his way home. The image of the waves, 'crocodiling and mincing past' is gripping; it communicates Odysseus' feelings of isolation and his constant struggle. His anger at these waves is soon made evident, he cannot understand their persistence, and detests that they possess no distinguishing features, 'less character than sheep'. Odysseus fantasises about the waves having distinctive characteristics, and even suggests naming them. By likening them to people, Ní Chuilleanáin creates a captivating image of the waves that communicate Odysseus' feelings of despair and isolation, 'saluting a new one with dismay or a notorious one with admiration'. The fact that he has resorted to comparing these waves to humans is telling of his madness.

The second stanza sees Odysseus contemplate his departure from the sea. The oar is a thought-provoking symbol of his loneliness, and communicates his anguish at being separated from other human beings. He addresses it as though it were another human, emphasising his inner turmoil and longing for contact with others 'I'll take you with me he said to the oar'. Ní Chuilleanáin adapts striking imagery of the surrounding water in the final stanza, which communicates feelings of hopelessness and resignation. Odysseus is disturbed at the realisation that water is everywhere, and is very much inescapable. The image of the 'unfenced valleys' that hold him encourage the reader to think; Odysseus is essentially unconfined but the surrounding sea has a firm grasp on his mindset. He is suddenly plagued by these thoughts, and imagines the water 'clattering into the kettle', the 'fountains', and the 'black canals'. These images are intensely vivid and the fact that they are described one after the other indicate his continuous torment.

In 'The Bend in the Road', Ní Chuilleanáin describes a moment wherein a family stop at the side of the road during a car journey, 'the child felt sick and they pulled over'. The bend in the road itself is an intriguing image that communicates feelings of nostalgia and sentimentality. The poet associates this image with the past, which in turn reminds her of the passage of time and of her loved ones who are no longer here. The image illustrates the fact that as humans we tend to associate certain events in our lives with places, 'it has become the place where you were sick one day on the way to the lake'. The image of the house, now covered in with 'green creeper' prompts the reader to think about time, which in turn communicates feelings of sadness and a strong yearning for the past. We can understand the poet's observations; she is comparing the setting to the one she experienced all those years ago.

The poet brings a spiritual dimension to the poem in the final stanza, incorporating startling imagery that really resonates with the reader. The image of the 'cumulus cloud', containing everything that 'went on' in those years, engages the reader. We understand that the poet wants to cherish these memories, and is anxious at the prospect of them fading away forever. She asserts that they are up there, 'softly packed like the air'. She goes on to describe her loved ones, making use of thought-provoking imagery to capture their final years. She illustrates their illness and how much it consumed them prior to their deaths. They were 'wrapped and sealed' by it, according to her. This image is effective in that it depicts their illness as something of a physical barrier, which communicates their helplessness with regard to their struggle. The most powerful image of all is that of their inability to even sleep. Sleep was nothing more than a burden for them, 'piled weight of sleep'. This image is a powerful reminder of the reality of life; it inspires the reader to really think about its transient nature. The poet then manages to translate feelings of both despair and acceptance, 'we knew they could not carry for long'.

In 'On Lacking the Killer Instinct', the poet is reading the morning paper over breakfast. The dramatic photo of the hare reminds her of one she glimpsed on a hillside many years ago. The image is explosive; a hare skilfully manages to escape the hounds who are attempting to catch it, 'it shoots off to the left'. The image is powerful in that it communicates feelings of freedom and exhilaration as the hare leaves them 'tumbling over'. The poem touches on the fact that we only ever feel truly alive when our lives are in danger, and this is certainly the case with the hare. The image of the hare reminds the poet of her father, and more specifically the time of his death. She presents us with a thought-provoking image of her father escaping the Black and Tans, seeking shelter in a farmhouse. This image is similar to that of the hare in that she describes him sprinting down the road before risking a 'kitchen door'. This image illustrates the confidence and focus he felt despite the reality of the risk. Both the hare and her father relish the thrill of escaping, and the reader can detect feelings of power and delight in their movements.

Ní Chuilleanáin then finds herself thinking of the hare she saw on the hillside once again. She remembers how haunting it looked as it sat motionless on the grassy middle of the track, 'In her hour of ease'. The sight had a profound effect on the writer, prompting her to return home to her father. We can almost imagine her observing the creature before becoming overwhelmed with feelings of guilt and urgency. The final image of the poet washing herself in 'brown bog water' is thought-provoking in that the reader must first read between the lines. The poet successfully communicates her need to rid herself of stress and become one with nature, by immersing herself in it.

In 'To Niall Woods and Xenya Ostrovskaia, married in Dublin on 9 September 2009', the poet evokes the world of fairytale and romance by incorporating fantastical images throughout. In the first stanza, she addresses her son and his Russian wife on the day of their wedding. The image of the star 'pitching its tent on the point of the steeple', launches the reader into deep thought. Stars are associated with hope and unity, and the couple gazing at it in unison communicates strong feelings of love and togetherness. The poet suggests that upon seeing this star they will know the time is right to embark on a journey of surprises and revelations. The poet includes a powerful symbol of a cat to assure the couple that their past will not be left behind. The cat is a symbol of their homes, and will act as something of a reminder as they journey into the unknown. It communicates feelings of hope for the future, and a sense that they mustn't ever lose themselves. The images in the stories are thought-provoking in that they are based around folklore and mythology; the poet effectively communicates the notion that love is eternal, each tale ending with a 'happily ever after'.

Ní Chuilleanáin undeniably captures the reader's attention in each of her poems. Each one consists of thought-provoking images and symbols, communicating a vast sea of emotions; ranging from love and hope, to anguish and despair.