Discussion Guide on Innocence by Patrick Kavanagh

Emily Bruce
English 150
Wednesday 4 December 2013, 5 p.m. section

Selected Text

Innocence

They laughed at one I loved—
The triangular hill that hung
Under the Big Forth. They said
That I was bounded by the whitethorn hedges
Of the little farm and did not know the world.
But I knew that love's doorway to life
Is the same doorway everywhere.

Ashamed of what I loved
I flung her from me and called her a ditch
Although she was smiling at me with violets.

But now I am back in her briary arms
The dew of an Indian Summer morning lies
On bleached potato-stalks—
What age am I?

I do not know what age I am,
I am no mortal age;
I know nothing of women,
Nothing of cities,
I cannot die
Unless I walk outside these whitethorn hedges.

Questions and Commentary

Background on Kavanagh

Grew up in Monaghan, which is in the countryside. His brother was a teacher in Dublin, read some of his works and encouraged him to go to the city and try being a poet. Many of his works have a focus on innocence and being young and naïve. Critics often referred him to as a country boy.

Innocence is based on his humble beginnings. He is in his country home and is bound to it. I believe that he loved his country life but because he wanted to be a poet he went through a period of time where he felt that he had to reject the country life and trade it in for the city life his brother encouraged.

Why did he want to reject the country life? Did he actually reject it or do you agree that he wanted to out of the principle of being an artist?

My Response

Ashamed of what I loved
I flung her from me and called her a ditch
Although she was smiling at me with violets.

He flung his love for his small town life away from himself and it continued to call him back with unconditional love. He does not wish to love the life inside the whitethorn hedges but he loves the innocence of that life and is ultimately called back to it.

Last Stanza:

I do not know what age I am, I am not mortal age;
I know nothing of women,
Nothing of cities,
I cannot die
Unless I walk outside these whitethorn hedges.

What does this mean? Is he being trapped into this life and wants to get out or does he want to stay in his whitethorn hedges and remain immortal there?

Does he wish to revert back to his childhood innocence in this stanza or is he mocking it?

He mentions his love for the life inside the whitethorn hedges fondly except when he says that he is in her briary arms. He is drawn back to this life because it is what he knows, but if he loves it so much, why is it described in a way that is hurting him?

Does he want to walk outside of the whitethorn hedges and die or does he wish to stay inside and maintain his innocence?

If he does not leave will he get to revert his memories of life outside of it?