Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Mockery Against the Irish Censorship" by Alan Dugan is a critical and sardonic poem that tackles themes of censorship, national identity, and the paradoxes inherent in Ireland's post-independence cultural landscape. Dugan's critique is sharp and unapologetic, aiming to expose what he sees as the contradictions and shortcomings of a society grappling with its newly gained autonomy while struggling with internal constraints.

The poem opens with a nostalgic and somewhat ironic reflection: "Ireland was better in its dream, with the oppressor foreign." Here, Dugan suggests that Ireland’s idealized self-image—crafted during its struggle against British rule—contrasts starkly with the reality of its independent state. The phrase implies that while under foreign oppression, Ireland had a clearer sense of purpose and unity, which is now lost.

Dugan continues by lamenting the state of Irish arts: "Now its art leaves home to keen and its voice is orange." The art "leaving home to keen" metaphorically speaks to the exile of Irish creativity, which perhaps finds itself stifled by domestic censorship. The reference to the "voice is orange" is particularly loaded, alluding to the Orange Order and broader Protestant and Unionist identities in Northern Ireland, suggesting a divisiveness or contamination of what might be considered a purely Irish cultural voice.

The poem sharply criticizes the new oppressors—now not the English, but the Irish themselves: "It is a sad revolt, for loving's health, that beats its enemy and then itself." This line encapsulates the tragedy of a revolution that, having defeated its external enemy, turns inward, attacking its essence. Dugan views this self-destructive behavior as detrimental to the "health" of love and creativity within Irish society.

Dugan's critique extends to the self-imposed censorship under the guise of piety and nationalism: "A just as alien pius blacks their greens of lovers' commerce; rehearsing victory, they lack a government to fill its promise." The "alien pius" likely refers to the Catholic Church and its moral strictures, which Dugan argues darken ("blacks") the vibrant life ("greens") of the people, particularly in personal relationships ("lovers' commerce"). The mention of a government failing to fulfill its promises highlights a perceived ineffectiveness in addressing the needs and freedoms of its people.

The poem concludes on a note of personal, almost visceral, rebellion against this state of affairs: "but since I wade at home in it I stoop and take a mouthful / to splatter the thick walls of their heads with American insult! Irish sense is dead." Here, Dugan uses the metaphor of splattering the "thick walls of their heads" with his words—an "American insult"—to signify a forceful rejection of Irish censorship and parochialism. The declaration "Irish sense is dead" serves as a grim epitaph for what he perceives as the loss of rationality and openness in post-independence Ireland.

Through "Mockery Against the Irish Censorship," Dugan engages in a biting critique of Irish society’s failures to live up to its own idealized self-image after gaining independence. His use of stark imagery, coupled with a tone of ironic disdain, serves to challenge the reader to reflect on the nature of freedom, cultural identity, and the potentially oppressive structures that can arise even in the absence of foreign domination.

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...