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Theme Of Paul Durcan

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Paul Durcan is a poet on my course who I found challenging to understand at first reading. However, after having read his poems several times and considered motifs that occur consistently, what emerges isn’t confusing, but is instead a complex portrait of a complex man: The Difficulty That Is Paul Durcan. The often pensive subject matter of Durcan’s poems ranges widely, from explorations of cultural change in contemporary Ireland to intimate studies of human relationships. Many of the narrative poems he writes are autobiographical, filled with dark humour and satirical jibes. He creates a sense of place and community within his poems which adds authenticity. In addition, he uses literal language and imagery to communicate with his audience, …show more content…

Mental suffering is a theme which Durcan explores in “En Famille, 1979” and “Sport”. Durcan’s intense poetry often focuses on memories of loneliness. “En Famille, 1979” almost appears to be a cry for help, as though the poet has never come to terms with the traumatic effects of his earliest experiences. The “dark school” presents a disturbing metaphor of his childhood. Durcan’s use of the French title meaning ‘with one’s family’ is heartbreakingly poignant. Yet he remains obsessed with the past. His unsettled childhood, particularly his painful relationship with his father, has much marked his poetry. Similarly, “Sport” examines the effects of rejection. The father-son relationship has remained the same all through his life.The devastation he experienced as a young man desperately attempting to impress his father is evident in the bleakness of the phrase “I was fearful I would let you down”. The poet’s fondness of dark humour is emphasised in his exaggerated description of the opposition players. The Mulling team had “gapped teeth, red faces…” They scarcely seemed human. However, despite his use of humour, it disguise Durcan’s continuing disappointment with this

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