Lingering Lessons from Leaving Cert Literature

I am reluctant to raise the issue of Shakespeare so close to the release of the results from the Leaving Certificate, but inspired by a recent discussion regarding the relevance of Shakespeare in our current times I thought I’d share my new found appreciation for the opportunity to study the works of this and other literary greats.

Don’t get me wrong coming up to the leaving certificate I wasn't impressed by the number of poets and writers I had to study nor the in depth analysis of their work. At that time, in my opinion, the theme of most poems was having to write something to get a bit of cash to put a loaf of bread on the table. However even during this exam orientated period of time I had some level of appreciation for Shakespeare’s views on many aspects of human nature and loved the vivid descriptions and wisdom portrayed by Patrick Kavanagh.

After initially liking many of the texts I studied during my second level education, the in depth analysis of these eventually lead me to hate the majority of them. To this day I can’t stand farce and couldn't bear to sit through a performance of “The Playboy of the Western World”. My introduction to Shakespeare via Romeo and Juliet didn’t exactly spark my enthusiasm, to be honest I thought Romeo was a bit of a wozz, but I didn't develop the same sort of aversion to Othello and Macbeth. 

Trying to learn numerous quotes and poems off by heart seemed rather tedious and pointless at the time, but now eleven years later some of those quotes remain etched in my mind and often surface when I encounter modern day experiences to which they seem to aptly relate.

The poetry of Patrick Kavanagh’s often springs to mind when I ‘m thinking or reading about our modern day world of excess. Choice abounds, we can experience different countries and cultures through travel, experiment with countless cuisines and ingredients, update our wardrobes seasonally. Despite the excitement and opportunity afforded by this level of variety, are we any happier than when these commodities were simply functional and we sought satisfaction in simpler things?

“We have tested and tasted too much lover

through a chink too wide their comes in no wonder”

(Advent)

In the poem Advent I think Kavanagh is reflecting on the damaging effects of excess, he appears to promote a pseudo detox where we return to simpler more basic things in order to regain an appreciation for what we have.

“Here in this darkened room,

 with the dry black bread and sugarless tea of penance

we will return to dust the knowledge we stole,

 but could not use.” (Advent)  

In the extreme this could perhaps relate to addiction and it is widely reported that Kavanagh was an alcoholic.

I think Shakespeare may also have addressed addiction  in a number of his works, within the opening act of Macbeth I think Shakespeare may also address addiction, particularly the deception associated with addiction.

“An oftentimes to win us to their charm, the agents of darkness lure us with the honest trifle only to betray in deepest consequence”

Macbeth (Shakespeare)

In my mind the “honest trifle” represents the high associated with addictive substances/behaviours, however the consequence of engaging with this “honest trifle” eventually leads to destructive consequences far more damaging than the brief positive experience.

In recent times numerous research studies have explored the impact that sleep has on mental and physical functioning. Indeed inadequate sleep has been linked to obesity, cardiovascular disease and other life threatening illness. The highly successful has gone so far as writing a book depicting the role sleep has to play in her success and the detrimental effects of not getting enough sleep. Shakespeare appears to have established the health benefits of sleep  and promoted them in advance of the scientific evidence and his works are littered with references to sleep and sleep disturbance.

Being an anxious individual who doesn’t function well on less than 8 hours of sleep, I think Shakespeare was fairly accurate in his references to both the mentally and physically restorative qualities of sleep,  

Sleep that knits up the ravell’d sleave of care,
The death of each day’s life, sore labour’s bath,
Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course,
Chief nourisher in life’s feast.
Macbeth (2.2.46-51)

and the impact that worries have on our ability to sleep. 

Care keeps his watch in every old man’s eye,
And where care lodges, sleep will never lie;
But where unbruised youth with unstuff’d brain
Doth couch his limbs, there golden sleep doth reign:
Romeo and Juliet (2.3.36-42)

Without doubt my decision making abilities are affected by level of tiredness, something which I think all of us can identify with. Perhaps the minister of health should take note of Shakespeare’s wisdom in relation to the long working hours of junior doctors. As clichéd as it seems I do believe that most things, not all, do seem “better in the morning” or at least more manageable

You lack the season of all natures, sleep

Macbeth (3.4.167)

Some would say the same concepts could be conveyed using much simpler language, but if so would they be as memorable? Would they stand out from the barrage of modern day philosophy which we encounter via social media on a daily basis? Without the sometimes extreme examples portrayed in his works would such words have adequate meaning or would they remain abstract concepts?

I have personally dabbled with “mindfulness”, which I feel is essentially a practice of noticing and allowing oneself to be amazed by what all around us, all that we take for is granted. I think poets had this nailed long before it became fashionable, particularly Kavanagh. He frequently focuses on the intricacies’ of the ordinary everyday sights around him. Indeed he expresses the pleasure that can be acquired when you “wallow in the habitual, the banal”

In my mind Kavanagh had great insight into the human experience, and the difficulties associated with addiction, isolation, unrequited love and his desire to overcome these limitations. He conveys his opinions on these issues in such an artistic way that they have lingered on and become more relevant since those former leaving certificate days.

I’d love to hear your views on this post?

 So please comment below, don’t be shy!!

Do you think Shakespeare is outdated and not relevant for our current times?

Would you like to see his works replaced with more contemporary material?

Were there any poets, authors, play rights works which you studied and you really enjoyed, disliked?

Are there any quotes which have remained in your consciousness or which you think are particularly relevant today?

 

Play Fair

As you have gathered from some of my previous posts, I’m pretty opinionated when it comes to issues surrounding human rights, health and well-being. However I think few things have upset me more than reports of the slavery, corruption and utter disregard for human life surrounding FIFA and the staging of the 2022 world cup in Qatar.

 I am not alone in my distress as demonstrated by the similar levels of outrage expressed by guests on The “Marian Finucane Show” on 26^th July.I will openly admit to having very little interest in soccer, so the world cup isn’t something I feel particularly passionate about. This contrasts with the position of others who are keen soccer fans, who also believe that the situation is intolerable and that the tournament should be boycotted.

Speaking on the Marian Finucane show on R.T.E.1, Minister Varadkar suggested that boycotting the tournament would be the “brave“ thing to do , whereas others placed the need for action in the hands of the corporate sponsors. However it was suggested that the only way in which the sponsors would be driven to act, would be if pressure to do so came from their customers. It’s disappointing to think that the gulf between ethical behaviour and economic gain is such that it is only if profits are threatened that corporate sponsors will be motivated to act.

 The panellists appeared quite resigned to the fact that we “the people” are as apathetic in relation to the complete disregard for human life as those in FIFA appear to be. It was as if the panellists felt that the population would consider the entertainment value of each world cup match, more important than the average of 62 lives lost per match staged. This resembles ancient Roman gladiatorial fights, where people die for the entertainment of others. I for one hope and believe that we in Ireland have not got our priorities that mixed up.

In my opinion any country who has signed up to the UN Convention on human rights should Boycott the world cup, not only withdrawing from participation, but also refuse to televise it, unless adequate measures are taken to safeguard and protect the lives of those involved in facilitating the staging of the tournament .

If this cannot be achieved, what’s to stop the countries in which human rights are protected and recognised hosting a UN cup?

Why don’t we, the Irish, step up “show we’ve got balls” and Boycott the tournament.

We can be heroes, leaders and be confident to do so, what have we got to lose? The world cup, I doubt it!

Sustained Support vs The Grand Gesture

So apparently the Irish economy is recovering, all of a sudden its ok to buy stuff again and to return to bemoaning the weather as opposed to the country’s finances. One of the many indications that we are emerging from the recession is the growing number of pictures of generous celebs and wealthy folk attending big “charity” fundraising events. The charity lunches, balls and auctions all seemed to disappear when the bubble burst. The back pages of the newspapers were nolonger filled with pictures of the glitterati in five star hotels, Spanish resorts or michelin starred restaurants, sipping champagne, while bidding on a yacht or being entertained by the cream of Irish talent.

Charities and the associated events began instead to occupy other sections of the papers. The can of worms which was opened when the top up payments to some of their board members and chief operating officers, among others graced the front pages. While the sports sections became populated with 10k runs, mini and ultra marathons, triathlons and other tests of fitness and stamina which were by and large undertaken not by the spandex clad glitterati, but by admirable  citizens many of whom had to turn to low cost exercise options as a coping skill and because they could nolonger afford the gym membership.

In a similar fashion the local table quizzes, car boot sales, raffles, church gate and on street collections continued. Those who never featured in the social columns continued to stand outside in all weathers and sell flowers and pins or spent their time selling tickets and organising small events in local halls determined to continue to do their bit because no matter how difficult things were for them they believed there was always someone in greater need.

These people in my opinion are the ones who deserve the column inches, how many pictures of volunteers in ponchos standing outside shopping centres in the rain or tables of eager table quiz participants in a country pub have you seen in the social columns of the national papers??

With the gradual improvement in the economy the growth in grand gestures once again directs our attention to the remerging generous rich. Tickets to the fabulous events they organise are priced beyond the means of the raffle ticket buyer or the table quiz attendee. Covetable items such as signed jerseys, luxurious meals and weekend breaks are sold at auction for the equivalent of the average monthly salary. Those who can afford to attend these events gain valuable PR points and admiration while those who endeavoured to keep the charities ticking over continue to work tirelessly lucky if they get a tee-shirt in recognition.

In my world charity is a marathon not a sprint and I’d rather see sustained sincere gestures as opposed to grand gestures any day!

“Roses”, noses and “Jaffa Cakes”

Excuse the completely inappropriate bounce from the heavy topics in the last posts to this extremely flippant one; I guess I'm aiming for balance!

I've developed a theory that the world, or should I say the part of the world that is exposed to westernised confectionery, is divided into two kinds of people. Those who choose the crèmes in the “Roses” box first verses those who opt for the nutty/caramel ones first. In our household we are all nuts and the near empty box is filled with bright pink and orange stragglers. In comparison our neighbours have the opposite situation with the bright pink and orange crèmes being the most sought after members of the chocolate tin.

I also think that based on this information it is possible to predict whether someone will like “jaffa cakes”, “crème eggs” and “Turkish Delight”. In general I find that if you’re a crème fan you also like these delicacies which to me really aren't worth the effort involved in opening the packet.

In this light I've been thinking about scents and how perhaps a preference for a particular type of scent might actually be linked to a preference for a taste. I know that my favourite scents are vanilla, strawberries and crème, Christmas spice, almond and coconut. I don’t mind fruity smells like orange and lemon either however I'm not a huge fan of floral scents or I actually dislike musty/Herby smells like lavender or incense.

I wonder if scent and taste preference are linked.

Do you fit into any of my theoretical categories?

What chocolates do you always choose first? What scents do you prefer?

Comment below I’d love to know!

Owning up to my own hypocrisy.

I have to date tried to resist temptation to blog about religion, but in light of my previous post about values and ethics I feel quite compelled to look at my own hypocrisy and to try to find a solution. I suppose I'm a Roman Catholic, I was born into a Roman Catholic family and that was how my religion was chosen. I do have faith and I attend mass weekly for the purpose of making weekly time for my faith, yet I'm not a fan of the hierarchical institution that is the Catholic Church. I prefer not to “tar all those within the church with the same brush” as I have met some priests for whom I have great respect and admiration, yet I am frustrated by those who don’t seem to be able to see beyond the out dated teachings of canon law.

                An aspect of the Catholic Church which in my view is quite similar to that of the refusal to accept that Galileo was right when he said that the world was round is the stance around the bread and wine actually being transformed into the body and blood of Christ during the consecration. This belief is maintained by the Catholic Church, whereas in other religions a more realistic approach where the bread and wine act as symbols of the body and blood of Christ is used. What I believe is utterly laughable about the refusal of the Catholic Church to amend this stance is the fact that gluten free communion is now being offered to coeliac’s at mass. Through doing this the church is obviously recognising that the bread is not changed into the body of Christ, as human flesh doesn't contain any flour/gluten but bread does, hence the need for gluten free hosts.   This makes me laugh however it isn't something which causes me great angst.

                On the other hand the fact that Sean Brady remains as cardinal in the diocese of Armagh in which I live is a great cause of concern of mine. This man sat in a room and heard accounts of paedophilia by priests and colluded with those who sought to silence the victims, thereby leaving a perpetrator free to abuse others. Personally I have no respect for anyone who could hear reports of such a horrendous crime and say or do nothing, to help cover it up is even more disgraceful. If an individual’s values weren't strong enough to distinguish right and wrong in this situation and to put the interests of vulnerable children above their own I have no confidence in them as a leader or decision maker. Sean Brady’s lack of remorse and defence of the course of action he took at that time further demonstrates his inability to see that it is completely unacceptable not to take action to protect vulnerable children when you are aware that they are in danger. If the leaders of the church were elected representatives, I am quite confident that Sean Brady would not have been elected to his current position or forced to resign when these allegations were exposed. Yet he continues to speak on behalf of the Catholic Church. As a Catholic I am unhappy that this man is representing me, so unhappy that I would question whether I can remain a Catholic within this diocese under his leadership.

                I am quite impressed by the humane approach Pope Francis has adopted and also I have quite a lot of respect for Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, so perhaps a move to Rome or Dublin might be the best course of action, or maybe the people of Ireland could appeal to the Pope to give us a leader we can respect and have faith in.

Apologies for the long silence I have had a break in my blogging not because I ran out of opinions and mad cap ideas but due to lack of time, but if you still haven't tired of my notions I'll start to through them out there again :)

Get into the Ethics Debate

It angers me to say that over the past year I feel I have become more cynical and less confident in the “power of the people”, or should I say the vulnerable people and those advocating for them.

I guess the starkest examples of this relate to the removal of discretionary medical cards from seriously ill children, the increasing gap between the rich and poor in our society and the lack of progress in relation to controlling the advertisement and sale of alcohol and tobacco. I’m sure there are many other examples which could be discussed, but these are the particular few which have particularly troubled me.

Dr. Ciara Kelly took the brave stand of publically challenging the HSE in relation to the removal of discretionary medical cards from seriously ill children or those with lifelong conditions and openly condemned giving medical cards to all those under six in light of the financial struggles which still cripple the functioning of the health service in this country. Much has been said and written in relation to these issues and rather than  repeat what’s been said I’ll just provide a link below.

I admire Dr. Ciara Kelly because she stuck to her own personal set of values and the values which she felt are core to her profession as a doctor. She advocated on behalf of the patients and vulnerable people whom she treated, and who quite frankly were dealing with enough without having to prove their need for a medical card to officials in the HSE. She didn’t pull any punches and she also openly used her own situation as an example of the gulf between the level of need which those with a healthy child under 6 and those with an ill child would have. It troubles me to think what would have happened had she and the families affected had not taken this stand in relation to the medical card controversy.

How could elected representatives and the directors of the health service think that it is right to take medical cards from seriously ill children and the families who devote so much of their time and resources to care for them at no cost to the state, plunging them into uncertainty and financial difficulty ? This injustice was compounded by  the introduction of  free G.P care to children under 6, many of whom do not require regular attendance at G.P surgeries thereby over-medicalising childhood and choking up an already stretched system. In my opinion this represents an attempt at appealing to the voting masses and complete abandonment a minority of vulnerable citizens. 

As a non-drinker, non-smoker I may anger people by writing about the might of the alcohol and tobacco industry, however I want to clarify that I don’t have an issue with drinking or smoking per say. To be honest every smoker I know realises that smoking damages their health and wants to give up but struggle to do so and as a person with an addictive personality I don’t underestimate how difficult it is. Similarly I know alcohol and moderate drinking is perfectly healthy and I often wish I did drink as it can be extremely social and I’m sure helps to deal with the self-conscious terror which engulfs me in social situations, nevertheless I doubt my ability to do so in moderation and don’t want to run the risk of developing an alcohol dependency. My issue is with the industries surrounding these substances and the covert tactics they use to market their products, to combat efforts by the government to reduce their availability and to limit their attractiveness. These industries are economically powerful with resources and legal expertise to challenge any well-meaning initiatives from the health service; pedalling on our fears for the future of the economy and the cultural aspects of Irish life we value so much.

Recently published statistics from The National Institute of Cancer Research (NICR) indicate that as a result of  our lifestyle choices incidences of many cancers are rising at an alarming rate, with cigarette smoking and excessive alcohol intake contributing to a significant number of cases. In spite of these alarming statistics behind which lies an enormous human suffering efforts at reducing the prevalence of these behaviours have been vehemently opposed. Consider the resistance to the attempts to introduce plain packaging of cigarettes. This measure, which has been demonstrated to be effective in making cigarette smoking less attractive to young people and so decreasing the number of young people taking up the habit. To me this seems like a no brainer, given the degree of regret many smokers express in relation to ever having started to smoke and the resources which are channelled into smoking cessation services.

In my view anything which prevents young people from taking up smoking is worth it, as the messages on the packages, supported by extensive medical research, state Smoking Kills. I noticed that the main lobby against the introduction of plain packaging appear to be coming from those in the tobacco industry and the legal might which they employ. At a time when we are just emerging from a recession suggesting that the measure may have a negative impact on the economy and force more tobacco sales into the black market is an opportunistic argument , whether it is valid or not. Strangely those who object to the introduction of a measure which has been demonstrated to decrease the uptake of cigarette smoking appear to be primarily from middle or upper social classes, where the incidence of smoking is much lower than that in lower socioeconomic classes. In this debate those whom are most affected by the health implications of cigarette smoking have little voice and are reliant on elected representatives to advocate on their behalf. Somewhere along this path someone is trying to convince us that the economic success of the tobacco industry is more important than health and indeed human life. This isn’t a concept I will buy into and I sincerely hope that the same degree of bravery which lead to the introduction of the ban on smoking in public places, despite claims that it would signal the death knell of pubs and cause wide spread public disorder, is exhibited.

On a similar vein the resistance to  two measures which the WHO has recommended as best buys in terms of improving health , the introduction of minimum pricing of alcohol and banning of alcohol sponsorship of sport have been resisted by industry . The objections centre around it’s impact on sport and on alcohol sales. When we look at the number of huge companies which don’t generate income from a potentially addictive substance which can seriously damage health and limit life expectancy there are many, surely they could fill the breach and facilitate the development of a healthy sporting relationship where it’s enjoyment and disappointed isn’t associated with alcohol.

 For this reason I welcome with hope President Higgins initiative to stimulate discussion and debate around ethics. I fear that as our nation has developed and dealt with the financial setbacks of recent years, we have distanced ourselves from a set of solid values which determine policy and practice seeking to create a just society for all. Perhaps we have developed tunnel vision and lost the capacity to see beyond our own agendas. President Higgins is not alone in his desire to stimulate conversation around the values which underpin both personal and societal decisions in this country and indeed on a global level. Former President Mary Robinson has also asked us to reflect on how our decisions in relation to climate change can and will impact on future generations, encouraging us to look beyond our own time on earth and to make efforts to spare those who follow us from unnecessary suffering which we could have prevented .

"Taste the Rainbow" Light

Do you know what sweets the above tagline represents?
Well I was indulging in some of these lovely little fellows during the week, yes I know during lent, did I not tell you i've given up jaffa cakes and cream eggs, i've actually carried this wave of abstenence on since I first tasted both of them, but that's beside the point! I left my favourite flavour sweet til last as I normally do , had you asked me to be sharing and caring at that point you would have uncovered my selfish streak,  probably a bit OCDish ,but it's not dominating my life so feck it .
Trying to be mindfull as I ate my sweet I commented ooh these are yummy, they almost taste like "real strawberries", guess which ones I'd left til last, although the makers of said sweets have invented a new kind in a turquoise packet where the colours don't match the flavours, so if you leave the red ones til last you may end up with the dreadful lime flavour!
So there is actually a point to all my rambling, why do we delight when we find a sweet with a flavour which closely ressembles the actual fruit? Why don't we choose the fruit , which contains less sugar , less colours, less sweeteners , more vitamins, more minerals, more anti oxidents instead. Why do we offer kids fruit flavoured sweets as treats instead of actual fruit! What is it that made me treat myself to a packet of sweets instead of a fruit salad??
Could it be mind over matter, is it a case of "the forbidden fruit" or do the sweets actually taste nicer?
Any thoughts on this one?