Adrienne Rich’s profound question, “To say that a poet is responsive, responsible – what can that mean?” has been a beacon guiding my journey as a writer. Reflecting on the role of poets as witnesses and the “conscience” of society, I embarked on a pilgrimage of self-discovery. Growing up in Carrick-on-Shannon during the turbulent 1980s, I bore witness to the harrowing toll of conflict across the Northern Ireland border. Poetry by Wordsworth, Yeats, and Dickinson became my solace, offering a sanctuary amid the turmoil. However, it was the plight of Ann Lovett, whose tragic death in 1984 ignited within me a fervent indignation, fueling my nascent feminism and outrage at society’s treatment of unmarried mothers. As I stood on the cusp of adulthood, preparing for my Leaving Certificate, a glimmer of hope appeared on the horizon. Ireland’s first female president, Mary Robinson, graced us with her wisdom, invoking the poetry of Eavan Boland in her inaugural address. Finally, I found solace in the voices of Boland, Eithne Strong, and Paula Meehan, poets who dared to challenge the status quo and articulate the experiences of women.
Although my initial collection, “No Vague Utopia,” published in 2003, leaned more heavily towards sonic and lyrical elements, my social conscience gradually ignited. The expectations and limitations imposed on Irish women became fetters I yearned to break free from. With time, life’s tapestry enriched my perspective and emboldened my poetic voice. My most recent collection, “Conditional Perfect” (2019), reverberates with a broader emotional spectrum, encompassing the scorching flames of anger against oppression’s myriad forms. While I may have hesitated to identify as a political poet in the past, I am now acutely aware of my moral compass and the urgency of addressing the pressing issues of our time. Poetry, as Alice Walker aptly stated, can indeed serve as “the lifeblood of rebellion, revolution, and the raising of consciousness.” It has played a pivotal role in shaping movements for peace, civil rights, women’s rights, gay liberation, and the struggle against apartheid in South Africa.
In the face of pervasive injustice, it is imperative that we embrace poetry that grapples with social realities and inequities. As Audre Lorde eloquently proclaimed, poetry is “a vital necessity of our existence. It forms the quality of light within which we can predicate our hopes and dreams toward survival and change.” In an era dominated by social media, where nuance often falls prey to polarized extremes, it is crucial to explore how poetry can engage with the political without succumbing to the allure of mere rhetoric. During the Arab Spring in 2010, Abu Al-Qasim Al-Shabi’s poem “The Will to Life” captured the indomitable spirit of Tunisian protesters yearning for democracy and change. In Afghanistan, women have found solace and empowerment in the landay, a two-line form of poetry, defying the Taliban’s oppressive regime. The poignant concision of this landay is particularly striking:
“When sisters sit together, they always praise their brothers.
When brothers sit together, they sell their sisters to others.”
Last December, the tragic assassination of Palestinian professor Refaat Alareer, whose prophetic poem called upon global citizens to bear witness and denounce the horrors unfolding in Gaza, serves as a stark reminder of our moral obligation to speak out against injustice. To infuse our poems with greater impact, to amplify our voices, we must strive to engage with complex issues with authority and conviction. What are the essential skills that empower writers to speak out, to navigate the treacherous terrain between didacticism and oversimplification? These are among the questions that my esteemed colleague, poet Eoin Devereux, and I will explore in a unique online event for this year’s Poetry Day Ireland, alongside our esteemed guest poet and renowned activist, Sarah Clancy.
Effective poetry transcends mere words on a page, evoking empathy and expanding our horizons of possibility. It compels us to feel rather than merely observe, reminding us of our shared humanity and profound interconnectedness with the world. In the words of American poet Joy Harjo:
“Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their tribes, their families, their histories, too.
Talk to them, listen to them.
They are alive poems.”
May we embrace the power of poetry as a force for good, a beacon of hope and a catalyst for change in a world yearning for justice and compassion.
