Kinsale by Derek Mahon

The kind of rain we knew is a thing of the past –
deep-delving, dark, deliberate you would say,
browsing on spire and bogland; but today
our sky-blue slates are steaming in the sun,
our yachts tinkling and dancing in the bay
like racehorses. We contemplate at last
shining windows, a future forbidden to no one.

Theme(s)

• History
• Place
• Progression

Poetic Techniques

• Alliteration
• Simile
• Onomatopoeia
• Synaesthesia

Rhyme + Structure

• 7 line poem
• Rhyme scheme: abbcbac

Tone + Mood

• Sombre
• Hopeful
• Optimistic

Imagery

• Grey skies
• Heavy rain
• Brightly coloured sea town houses
• Yachts bobbing up and down on the water

Symbolism

• Spire and bogland - church and land
• Shining windows - opening up + inviting opportunities
• Yachts + racehorses - wealth