Every image from nature, every poetic technique, every piece of literary craft — analysed and explained with Irish phrases to use in your exam answers.
In the old Irish love-song tradition (na hamhráin grá), nature was used to describe the beloved in glowing terms — her eyes like a mountain stream, her hair like golden barley. Ní Dhomhnaill knows this tradition perfectly and uses its exact language — but subverts it completely, using nature images to show her partner's flaws rather than his beauty.
"D'aiteoinn go mbaineann an file sár-úsáid as íomhanna ón nadúr chun cuma agus tréithe an fhir a chur in iúl dúinn." (I would argue that the poet uses excellent images from nature to portray the appearance and characteristics of the man to us.)
| Íomhá / Image | Aistriúchán | Céard is brí leis? |
|---|---|---|
| Níl mo ghrá-sa mar bhláth na n-airní | My love is not like the blackthorn flower | Denies the most common traditional compliment — her lover's appearance is not delicate or beautiful like a blossom |
| ná mar eala uaigneach ag seoladh ar an loch | nor like a lonely swan sailing on the lake | Denies grace and elegance — swans were the ultimate symbol of beauty in tradition |
| Níl a ghnúis mar ghrian an mheán lae | His face is not like the midday sun | His face does not radiate warmth and light — another traditional comparison denied |
| ná mar ghealaigh ag éirí thar chnoic na tíre seo | nor like the moon rising over the hills of this land | Not luminous or romantic — the moonrise over hills was one of the most common beautiful images in Irish poetry |
| Tá a chuid gruaige mar a bheadh sreang dheilgneach ann | His hair is as if there were barbed wire in it | Barbed wire — harsh, sharp, ugly. The ultimate anti-romantic nature image. Brilliant comic reversal. |
| Is má tá aon ghaol aige le nóiníní, is as a chluasa a fhásfaidh siad | If he has any relation to daisies, they'll grow from his ears | Absurdist, comic image. Instead of being compared to a flower, he might grow them — from his ears. Humorous exaggeration. |
| Tugann sé dom úlla agus caora finiúna | He gives me apples and grapes | Metaphor: apples = necessities of life; grapes = small luxuries. Nature finally used positively — to show his generosity. |
The apple and grape images in the final verse are the poem's most important nature images — and the most positive. After six nature images used negatively (denials or comic insults), the fruit images are warm and generous.
"Tá an file ag rá gur féidir léi brath air agus go bhfuil an pictiúir níos tábhachtaí ná an fráma." (The poet is saying that she can depend on him and that the picture is more important than the frame.) This is a beautiful final metaphor — his inner self (the picture) is more important than his external appearance (the frame).
The poem is written in free verse (saor-véarsaíocht) — there is no regular metre or rhyme scheme. This is significant:
While the poem is primarily free verse, Ní Dhomhnaill includes occasional examples of end rhyme (rím dheiridh) which create a subtle musicality:
There are several key metaphors in the poem:
The poem uses deliberate exaggeration (aibhéil) for comic effect. Saying someone's eyes are "too close together" is a mild observation — but saying that if he's related to daisies, they'll grow from his ears is pure absurdist comedy.
"Is léir go bhfuil cur síos scigmhagúil agus aibhéalach ann ó thús deireadh." (It is clear that there is a mocking and exaggerated description throughout.)
The brackets in this poem are not just a formatting choice — they are the poem's central literary technique. No other poem in the Leaving Cert Irish course uses this device in the same way. They are Ní Dhomhnaill's most original contribution in this poem.
In your answers, quote directly from the poem in Irish and provide the translation in brackets — exactly as shown here. Examiners award marks for accurate quotation and translation. Learn these lines by heart.