Yeats again, this sad romantic, writes about something other than Maude. This happens to be Fergus, an Irish King who gave up his throne to "fight, feast and hunt." While reading this poem I do not think Fergus has given up his throne to do these things, instead he has traded positions and done so out of the love of his new position. "Who will go drive with Fergus now, And pierce the deep wood's woven shade." Fergus is, in this quote, seemingly asking or having someone ask to go with him on this joyous and adventorous hunt. He does not want his kingdom any longer, he wants to "lift up your resset bow" and come with him to basically party and go on adventures.
"For Fergus rules the brass cars, and rules the shadows of the wood." Here Fergus is where he belongs, in the wild, ruling the "woods", "sea" and "stars", That seems to be a bigger kingdom than tiny little Ireland. But yet he was probably seen as a fool, although no one would tell him that.
The grass is greener on the other side. Fergus lived the royal life and did not like his position. So he did as alot of us should, We don't like something.. Give it up and go find what you like to do. He had what I can relate to as a desk job, it is cushy, easy, good money and boring as heck. But I want to travel, be in advertising, especially in this bad economy, advertising is not the safest and sometimes volatile field. You can be good at it and make money or bad at it and end up at a radio station selling ads. I do not really care for desk jobs and will take my chances with the advertising route and at least love what I am doing, like Fergus.
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Jack,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your posts, and to see how you respond to and engage with the readings. You always seem to find a good way to connect your interests and experiences to the poem, and to communicate the connection to your readers. This last post is a great example of that approach!
We all struggle to follow our hearts or follow the more conventional routes in life. I like how you brought in your own experience with your career as a way of relating to the reading. I know I could easily fill in the blanks with my own story and it would essentially be the same.
ReplyDeleteI so feel that Yeats is a sad romantic, and is easily over-comed by a womans beauty. But in this piece he goes on about a man giving up what he knows in search of something else that he loves, hey he does have more guts that most of us.
ReplyDeleteAgreeing with what you posted Jack, I think that Yeats wants to do what he loves as opposed to what gets him the most money or fame. I think that is what most of us strive for, whether or not we are in the position to take up the offer that gives us the most joy we still want to do what we love. Many people today could not do what Yeats character has done because they are not in the position to give up their job for a less lucrative, but more inspiring life style. If I was given that proposition I don't think I would be able to give up a great job with alot of money, to love what i'm doing but still make ends meet.
ReplyDeleteJack this is such a really good way to describe the poem, I do not think I could describe it any better. And what a fantastic way of comparing it to a desk job. It is a sad romantic but very poetic in the making.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed how you described this poem and it make the poem very clear. And really like the simile to the desk job, makes good sense
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