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(i) "In the poem Colscaradh (below), the poet gives us an account of two different perspectives on marriage." Discuss this. (15 marks)
(ii) What effect do the last two lines of the poem have, in your opinion? (One piece of information from the poem is sufficient as support for your answer.) (6 marks)
(iii) Who composed this poem? Write a short note on the life and works of this poet. (9 marks)
Planning your answer will keep you focused and help you include all the key information.
Marking for the Prós, Filíocht and Litríocht Breise questions:
• 30 marks available • 5 marks for the quality of Gaeilge. • 25 marks for eolas (knowledge-how well you know and understand the text). • Make sure you have a solid understanding of the poems– know the key images, themes and poetic techniques. • **Practice exam questions-**they are very repetitive! • However, it's important to avoid reciting a memorised answer. You must answer the question in front of you to score highly. Don't just summarise the text! • Refer to the question frequently throughout your answer. This is easier than it sounds! All you need is a few key phrases that you can adapt to tie in any exam question, such as: • Aontaím leis an ráiteas seo. (I agree with this statement.) • Is léir go bhfuil… (It is clear that) • Léiríonn sé seo go… (This shows that) • Tá sé seo an soiléir ón gcaoi… (This is very clear from the way…) • Feicimid go… (We see that…) • Gan aon amhras ar bith… (Without any doubt…) • Tip: Refer back to the question at the end of each paragraph! • Personal response shows that you understand and are engaged with the text. You could use phrases like: • Dar liom… (According to me…) • Creidim go bhfuil…. (I believe that…)
(i) 'Sa dán Colscaradh (thíos), tugann an file cuntas dúinn ar dhá dhearcadh dhifriúla i leith an phósta.' É sin a phlé. (15 mharc)
(i) "In the poem Colscaradh (below), the poet gives us an account of two different perspectives on marriage." Discuss this. (15 marks)
Cruthaíonn an file dhá phictiúr éagsúla den phósadh sa dán seo. Sa chéad véarsa, faighimid mianta an fhir. Sa dara véarsa, faighimid mianta na mná. Tá mianta an fhir difriúil ó mhianta na mná. Ní féidir leo teacht ar chomhréiteach. Tá éilimh an dís seo ag teacht salach ar a chéile. Tá codarsnacht le feiceáil sa dán idir an fear agus an bhean, agus idir an saol traidisiúnta agus an saol nua-aimseartha. Bhí tuairimí difriúla acu faoin bpósadh agus faoin ról a bhí acu sa phósadh. Sa dán seo, feicimid dhá phríomhíomhá — íomhá den fhear agus íomhá den bhean. Agus ní hionadh é go bhfuil mianta agus dearcaí difriúla acu, agus tá an dán bunaithe ar an gcodarsnacht seo.
The poet creates two different images of marriage in this poem. In the first verse, we get the man's desires. In the second verse, we get the woman's desires. The man's desires are different from the woman's desires. They cannot reach a compromise. The demands of this couple contradict each other. There is a contrast to be seen in the poem between the man and the woman, and between traditional life and modern life. They had different opinions about marriage and about their roles within it. In this poem, we see two main images — an image of the man and an image of the woman. It is no surprise that they have different desires and perspectives, and the poem is based on this contrast.
Sa chéad véarsa, cuirtear íomhá den fhear agus dearcaí an fhir os ár gcomhair. Ar an gcéad dul síos, tá dearcaí traidisiúnta agus seanfhaiseanta aige. Teastaíonn uaidh cónaí ina áit dhúcais féin lena bhean cheile. Dar leis, caithfidh an bhean bogadh in ionad an fhir. Feicimid é seo tríd an íomhá
'i nead a chine'.
Is meafar chliste é seo. Cuireann sé é féin i gcomparáid le héan agus cuireann sé a theach i gcomparáid le nead. Thógfadh sé an teach leis féin.
In the first verse, an image of the man and the man's outlooks are presented to us. First of all, he has traditional and old-fashioned views. He wants to live in his native place with his wife. According to him, the woman must move instead of the man. We see this through the image
"in the nest of his kin".
This is a clever metaphor. He compares himself to a bird and his house to a nest. He would build the house himself.
Bhí sé ag tnúth go mór le saol pósta, leis a bhean chéile ag tógáil na bpáistí, ag déanamh oibre an tí agus ag tabhairt aire dóibh. Bhí an baile an tabhachtach don fhear. Teach lionta le grá a bheadh i gceist:
'faoiseamh is gean
ar leac a thine'
He was really looking forward to married life, with his wife raising the children, doing the housework and taking care of them. The home was very important to the man. It would be a house filled with love:
"Ease and affection
At the hearth of the fire"
Is rud lárnach é an tine sa teach. Soláthraíonn sé teas. Cruthaíonn sé atmaisfeár compórdach agus síochánta. Seo mar a shamhlaíonn an fear a shaol pósta. Bhí sé ag lorg mná a bhí toilteanach agus in ann traidisiúnta a chomhlíonadh. Dar leis, ba cheart don fhear a bheith i gceannas, ag dul amach ag obair agus ag tabhairt tacaíochta don chlann. Bhí mianta an fhir go léir dírithe ar an gclann agus ar an mbaile. Bhí an smaoineamh a bhí aige den phósadh níos tábhachtaí ná a bheith leis an mbean a phós sé:
'Shantaigh sé bean
i nead a chine,
faoiseamh is gean'
The fire is a central thing in the home. It provides warmth. It creates a comfortable and peaceful atmosphere. This is how the man envisions his married life. He was looking for a woman who was willing and able to fulfil traditional duties. According to him, the man should be in charge, going out to work and providing support to the family. The man's desires were entirely focused on the family and the home. His idea of marriage was more important to him than being with the woman he married:
"He desired a woman
In the nest of his kin,
Ease and affection"
Tá a mhalairt de dhearcadh ag an mbean. Feicimid go bhfuil a tnútháin i bhfad ó mhianta a fir céile. Tá saol nua-aimseartha uaithi. Níl fonn uirthi a bheith faoi chois ag an bhfear. Teastaíonn uaithi a bheith neamhspleách. Ní raibh fonn uirthi a bheith ag brath ar an bhfear. Sa phósadh, bhí cothrom na féinne, údarás agus leath den saibhreas tábhachtach di:
'Shantaigh sí fear
is taobh den bhríste,
dídean is searc
is leath den chíste'
The woman has the opposite perspective. We see that her expectations are far from her husband's desires. She wants a modern life. She does not want to be oppressed by the man. She wants to be independent. She did not want to be dependant on the man. In marriage, equality, authority and half of the wealth were important to her:
"She desired a man
And a side of the trousers,
Shelter and love
And half of the wealth,"
Léiríonn a dearcaí gur shamhlaigh sí go mbeadh siad ag comhoibriú le chéile, ag dáileadh an údaráis eatarthu agus go mbeadh an fear céile ag tabhairt lámh chúnta di leis an obair tí. Bhí a hintinn féin aici agus bhí sí ag iarraidh a roghanna féin a dhéanamh. Tá a smaointe dírithe ar rudaí taobh amuigh den bhaile, mar shampla, ábharchas, stádas agus laethanta saoire:
'saoire thar lear'
Her views show that she imagined that they would be working together, sharing the authority between them and that her husband would lend a helping hand to her with the housework. She had her own mind and she was trying to make her own choices. Her thoughts are focused on things outside the home, such as materialism, status and holidays:
"A holiday abroad"
Níl trácht ar pháistí ar chor ar bith. Bhí súil aici go mbeadh ainm in airde aici sa phobal:
'is meas na mílte.'
There is no mention of children at all. She hoped that she would have a good name in the community:
"And the respect of thousands."
| Mar fhocal scoir, is léir ón méid atá ráite agam go dtugann an file cuntas dúinn ar dhá dhearcadh dhifriúla i leith an phósta. Bhí codarsnacht láidir idir an fear agus an bean, codarsnacht láidir idir dhá thuiscint dhifriúla ar an bpósadh sa dán. | Conclude your answer with a strong reference to the question. |
In conclusion, it is clear from what I have said that the poet gives us an account of two different perspectives on marriage. There was a strong contrast between the man and the woman, a strong contrast between two different understandings of marriage in the poem.
(ii) Cén éifeacht a bhaineann leis an dá líne dheireanacha den dán, dar leat? (Is leor pointe amháin eolais as an dán mar thacaíocht le do fhreagra.) (6 mharc)
(ii) What effect do the last two lines of the poem have, in your opinion? (One piece of information from the poem is sufficient as support for your answer.) (6 marks)
| Gan aon agó, is iad díoma, brón agus aiféala na mothúcháin is láidre sa dán seo. | Answer the question immediately. |
Without a doubt, disappointment, sadness and regret are the strongest emotions in this poem.
Músclaíonn an dán seo brón ionam féin ach go háirithe. Cuireann an file brón in iúl go láidir leis an gcoimhlint a bhí idir an fear agus an bhean faoin saol pósta a bhí ag teastáil uathu. Mothaímid an brón agus an díoma mar theip ar an bpósadh. Bhí brón orm nach raibh siad oiriúnach dá chéile.
In particular, this poem evokes sadness in me. The poet strongly presents sadness through the conflict that was between the man and the woman about the married life they needed. We feel the sadness and disappointment because the marriage failed. I felt sad that they were not suitable for one another.
Tá an brón chun tosaigh sa líne deireanach:
'Thángthas ar réiteach.
Scaradar. '
Tá an ioróin an-suntasach sa líne seo. Ceapann an file gur tragóid é an colscaradh mar bhí an lánúin seo i ngrá ach níor mhair sé. Is é comhréiteach bunchloch an chaidrimh, ach bhí sé in easnamh anseo. Is mór an trua é seo agus spreagann sé brón ionam féin.
Sadness is at the fore in the final line:
"A solution was come to.
They separated."
The irony is very prominent in this line. The poet thinks that divorce is a tragedy because this couple was in love but it didn't last. Compromise is the foundation-stone of a relationship, but it was missing here. This is a great pity and it evokes sadness in me.
Ní bhfuair an fear ná an bhean an pósadh a bhí á lorg acu. Ní raibh mé ag súil leis an líne deireanach agus chuaigh sé go mór i bhfeidhm orm. Bhí díomá orm nach raibh siad in ann an pósadh a shábháil. Is léir go bhfuil sé brónach nuair a theipeann ar an ngrá, agus músclaíonn an dán an brón sin ionam.
Neither the man nor the woman got the marriage they were looking for. I did not expect the final line and it had a big impact on me. I was disappointed that they were unable to save the marriage. It is clear that it is sad when love fails, and the poem evokes that sadness in me.
(iii) Cé a chum an dán seo? Scríobh nóta gairid ar shaol agus ar shaothar an fhile sin. (9 mharc)
(iii) Who composed this poem? Write a short note on the life and works of this poet. (9 marks)
Chum Pádraig Mac Suibhne an dán seo.
Rugadh in Árd na Ratha é i nDún na Gall sa bhliain 1942. Bhain sé céim amach sa Ghaeilge agus sa stair. Thosaigh sé ag ullmhú le bheith ina shagart i gColáiste Phádraig, Maigh Nuad ach d'fhág sé é. Ba mhúinteoir agus príomhoide é. File agus gearrscéalaí é chomh maith. Fuair sé bás sa bhliain 2020.
Tagann 'Colscaradh' ón gcnuasach filíochta 'Solas Uaigneach' (1992).
Scríobh sé saothar eile, ar nós 'Taibhsí an Chreagáin' (1976) agus 'An Teach Glas agus Scéalta Eile' (2008).
Pádraig Mac Suibhne composed this poem.
He was born in Ard an Rátha in Donegal in the year 1942. He earned a degree in Irish and history. He began preparing to become a priest at St. Patrick's College, Maynooth but he left it. He was a teacher and principal. He was also a poet and short story writer. He passed away in 2020.
'Colscaradh' comes from the poetry collection Solas Uaigneach (1992).
He wrote other works, such as Taibhsí an Chreagáin (1976) and An Teach Glas agus Scéalta Eile (2008).
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