Rural Ireland

This poem takes place in the poet’s homeland of Ireland between his youth and the time of writing — probably around his home near Castledawson in Northern Ireland, between the 1940s and 1960s. The setting reflects the strong ties the Irish had to their land and mentions two essential agricultural commodities: potatoes and peat. In addition, the speaker mentions the “flowerbeds” (Line 6), which shows that the house had a garden that was as much for beauty and pleasure as it was for practical living. During this time, most young Irish men would be expected to take after their fathers’ trade, a pattern the speaker is deviating away from.

A Writing Desk

The poem opens and closes with the speaker preparing to write, suggesting an office or dedicated writing space. Since the speaker is young enough to be sharing a home with their father, this may only be...