As it should be
From ZuluNotes - Free Leaving Cert Notes
| English Poem | |
| |
| As it should be | |
|---|---|
| Subject | English |
| Section | Poetry |
| Paper | 2 |
| Poet | Derek Mahon |
| On syllabus | 2008, 2009 |
| Note | |
Contents |
Poem
We hunted the mad bastard
Through bog, moorland, rock, to the star-lit west
And gunned him down in a blind yard
Between ten sleeping lorries
And an electricity generator.
Let us hear no idle talk
Of the moon in the Yellow River.
The air blows softer since his departure.
Since his tide burial during school hours
Our kiddies have known no bad dreams.
Their cries echo lightly along the coast.
This is as it should be.
They will thank us for it when they grow up
To a world with method in it.
[1]
Synopsis
This poem is from the mouth of a murderer. Mahon is describing the murder of someone of who the town people believe to be dangerous, however Mahon is sneakily contradicting the townpeoples actions of killing someone and saying 'the children will sleep better for it' because what they have done is just as bad. they 'hunted the mad bastard' is imagery of violence and depersonifies the man to being nothing but an animal being hunted down by a hungry mob of people wanting to destroy him. The mob believe that 'the air blows softer since his departure' however Mahon yet again shyly contradicts their actions as being worse than his. The mob didnt even allow the villain the chance to a proper burial instead washing him out to see in a 'tide burial...during schhol hours' washing away their secret during the hours the children were at school and would never have to know their terrible secret and allowing the m to be 'better for it'
Themes
- Violence
- Throughout this poem we can see violence as the angry mob commmit murder
