Eavan Boland and the Poetry of Human Experience Alex Shelley 12th Grade

Upon encountering Eavan Boland’s poetry, readers will discover representations of human experiences that are largely accessible, as such facets of existence are expressed in a sincere manner. In the poem ‘Love,’ for instance, Boland explores the experience of love in her own marriage. Boland often uses a personal experience to reflect on an issue of universal importance, as she does in ‘The War Horse’ and ‘Child of Our Time’. ‘In ‘This Moment’ she manages to give such personal moment’s universal significance and depict such events in an honest way. Thus, her poems appeal to me as they offer valuable insights into life which are both accessible and thought-provoking.

The life of a suburban wife and mother is not generally regarded as the stuff of great poetic inspiration; however in ‘This Moment’ Boland manages to find themes and images which are largely accessible. The ordinary setting of a housing estate where things were “getting ready / to happen / out of sight'' is an essential aspect of the poem’s relevance to the reader. The poem celebrates the love between a mother and her child. A child runs into its mother's arms and the moment is so full of love, so beautiful, that ''Stars rise / Moths flutter / Apples sweeten in the...