Stony Grey Soil
Stony Grey Soil - meaning Summary
Rural Life's Stolen Youth
The poem accuses the stony grey soil of Monaghan of robbing the speaker of youth, love and artistic promise. Through images of hard labour, poor food and stained fields, the land is blamed for stunting bodily grace, sensual pleasures and lyric freedom. The speaker mourns lost pleasures and wonders whether he can still write untainted, naming local places as reminders of loves and ambitions thwarted by a harsh rural environment.
Read Complete AnalysesO stony grey soil of Monaghan The laugh from my love you thieved; You took the gay child of my passion And gave me your clod-conceived. You clogged the feet of my boyhood And I believed that my stumble Had the poise and stride of Apollo And his voice my thick tongued mumble. You told me the plough was immortal! O green-life conquering plough! The mandrill stained, your coulter blunted In the smooth lea-field of my brow. You sang on steaming dunghills A song of cowards' brood, You perfumed my clothes with weasel itch, You fed me on swinish food You flung a ditch on my vision Of beauty, love and truth. O stony grey soil of Monaghan You burgled my bank of youth! Lost the long hours of pleasure All the women that love young men. O can I still stroke the monster's back Or write with unpoisoned pen. His name in these lonely verses Or mention the dark fields where The first gay flight of my lyric Got caught in a peasant's prayer. Mullahinsa, Drummeril, Black Shanco- Wherever I turn I see In the stony grey soil of Monaghan Dead loves that were born for me.
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