The Desert Village Poem Analysis

Throughout the poem The Deserted Village, which was written by Oliver Goldsmith in the eighteenth century, the themes of nostalgia and irishness are strongly present. According to the Oxford Dictionaries, nostalgia has been defined as “A sentimental longing or wistful affection for a period in the past” whereas irishness has been termed as “Relating to Ireland, its people, or the Celtic language traditionally and historically spoken there”. Throughout the poem, Goldsmith uses a first-person narration, in order to express a lamentation, for the passing of a way of life. In the course of this essay, it will be shown that Goldsmith represented nostalgia and irishness through the use of descriptive language and striking imagery. The use of poetic devices will also be examined, which aids in portraying the representations of these themes. The poem is divided into three sections, in order to portray the drastic changes of the village, each of which will be examined

Jaarsma (457) whose views of Goldsmith’s emotions are full of heartache and sorrow, comments that “the “I” is forced to admit that the world to which he so avidly wishes to return is inexorably lost to him”, which creates a striking image of despair and melancholy for the poet. Towards the denouement of the first section of the poem, Goldsmith appears to be full of heartache and wretchedness. The poet’s sense of longing for the past is yet again displayed, through the nostalgic recollections of his youth-“These were thy charms- but all these charms are fled” (34). From the numerous examples outlined above, it is evident that the themes of nostalgia and irishness have been addressed. Although Goldsmith’s recollections of his time spent in Ireland portray joy and delightfulness, the poet’s emotions of despair and sorrow are strongly present, due to his longing for the