The Pomegranate Eavan Boland Analysis

Eavan Boland cleverly uses language features, such as metaphors, similes, references to Greek mythology and symbolism, to connect to her personal experiences, seen in the poems Motherhood and Love, celebrating the durability of love, the joys of motherhood and the ordinary everyday. She also conveys the cold and disturbing truths about society, like the ignored presence of War and Violence in places like suburban areas. Boland’s poem ‘The War Horse’ depicts the ugly truth about the war and violence that most of us don’t wish to think about. The houses in this poem are seen to be domestic places, safe within a perfect little bubble from the outside world; the neighbours and Boland herself take comfort of “the subterfuge of [their] curtains”

In the poems ‘The Pomegranate’ and ‘This Moment’, Boland writes about her observations as a mother. In ‘The Pomegranate’, she learns that in order to allow children to grow and develop, we need to allow them to mistakes. She references back to the Greek myth of Ceres and Persephone, at first reminiscing that she as a young girl she related to Persephone, “an exiled child in the crackling dust of the underworld”. Yet, now, as a mother she relates to Ceres “ready to make any bargain to keep her” daughter safe and protected, however she knows that she can’t shelter her daughter if she is to grown up which is why “[she] will say nothing”. Boland celebrates the ordinary every day life in ‘This Moment’, using similes like “one window is as yellow as butter” showing the domestic setting of this poem. She creates a mysterious atmosphere in this peaceful setting hinting that many things are happening where we can’t see as “Things are getting ready, to happen, out of sight”. By building anticipation as if the whole world is waiting for this precious moment between this mother and child “but not yet”. Yet, once her child “has run into her arms” everything in the poem has been leading up to “This Moment”. The word choice, “stars rises, moths flutter, apples sweeten” highlights the

She asks “Will we ever live so intensely again?” Boland wonders in this poem will her and her husband’s love will ever be as passionate as it once was. Will it ever be as strong where she’s able to personify their strong love where it’s like a physical presence in their home, “love…had come to live with us”. She captures the excitement and passion of the early stages of their relationship. Their lives may be more “day-to-day” and “ordinary” but they “love each other still” and they communicate well, “We speak plainly with each other clearly”. However, Boland recognises that in her experiences, even the most intense emotions fade over time and her effective language features portray this. Eavan Boland, I believe, does make effective and efficient use of language features, such as metaphors and symbols; to explore personal memories and experiences celebrating the ordinary every day and love between cherished ones. Whilst delivering the penetrating truths about society, acknowledging the war and violence, and that most turn a blind eye to devastation it