And old man passing said:
‘Can't he make it talk -
The melodion.' I hid in the doorway
And tightened the belt of my box-pleated coat.
I nicked six nicks on the door-post
With my penknife's big blade -
there was a little one for cutting tobacco.
And I was six Christmases of age.
My father played the melodion,
My mother milked the cows,
And I had a prayer like a white rose pinned
On the Virgin Mary's blouse.
Literary Information:
Patrick Kavanagh (21 October 1904 – 30 November 1967) was an Irish poet and
novelist from Co. Monaghan. His best-known works include the poems "On Raglan
Road" and "The Great Hunger" and he is known for his accounts of Irish life
through reference to the everyday and commonplace. Notably, Nobel
Laureate Seamus Heaney is acknowledged to have been influenced by Kavanagh.
There is a famous statue of Kavanagh beside Dublin's Grand Canal, inspired by his
poem "Lines written on a Seat on the Grand Canal, Dublin." He will be on your LC
English course 2023 – 2026.
Self-Directed Learning Task: Explore Anglo-Irish Language
1. Annotate the poem: label and identify as many figurative language
techniques as possible.
2. Highlight vocabulary and terms you do not understand. Research any
colloquial Irish phrases and religious allusion - A) Ask a
parent/guardian/grandparent or B) Work with a peer or C) Use
the internet. Annotate and add your researched answers to your
annotated poetry notes above.
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