Mentor/s
Professor Abby Bender
Participation Type
Paper Talk
Abstract
This paper discusses the word choice, symbolism, and historical significance of Nuala Ní Dhomnhaill's poem, "Cathleen." It examines how the poem challenges traditional Irish portrayals of women, depicting them not as emotional, helpless beings, but as strong, independent individuals with a grounded sense of self. The analysis also reflects on how the poem can fit into the Irish tradition, particularly through the invocation of the name Cathleen Ní Houlihan, Mother Ireland.
College and Major available
English
Academic Level
Undergraduate student
Location
Session 1: Digital Commons & Martire 153
Start Day/Time
4-23-2025 2:00 PM
End Day/Time
4-23-2025 3:15 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Looking to Mother Ireland: The Exploration of Femininity in Nuala Ní Dhomnhaill’s "Cathleen"
Session 1: Digital Commons & Martire 153
This paper discusses the word choice, symbolism, and historical significance of Nuala Ní Dhomnhaill's poem, "Cathleen." It examines how the poem challenges traditional Irish portrayals of women, depicting them not as emotional, helpless beings, but as strong, independent individuals with a grounded sense of self. The analysis also reflects on how the poem can fit into the Irish tradition, particularly through the invocation of the name Cathleen Ní Houlihan, Mother Ireland.
Students' Information
Lauren (Wren) Campise is an English major with a Creative Writing minor. They are a student in the honors program and are part of the class of 2026.