Belfast Confetti is a poem about the aftermath of a sectarian riot in Belfast by Northern Irish poet and translator Ciarán Carson. The poem won the Irish Times Irish Literature Prize for Poetry.
What is the context of Belfast Confetti?
Historical Context
“Belfast Confetti” is set in Troubles-era Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Troubles was a conflict in Northern Ireland that ran from 1968 to 1998, but it had roots stretching back hundreds of years. The Troubles was a battle over the identity and status of Northern Ireland.
What poem can you compare Belfast Confetti to?
If you were to compare Belfast Confetti with The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost for example, you could use some of the following points: Both poems reflect the poets’ background and are anchored in place.
Why is it called Belfast Confetti?
The name ‘Belfast Confetti’ was basically slang for the homemade hand grenades put together by the Irish opposition in Belfast that were filled with leftover pieces of nuts, bolts and other small metal items. It was called ‘confetti’ because of the resemblance of shrapnel falling on people when a grenade explodes.
What does the big ball in Belfast represent?
The globe-shaped, white and silver steel sculpture is a representation of a new sun rising to celebrate a new chapter in the history of Belfast.
What was in the milk bottles in Belfast?
petrol bombs
Dustbin lids become makeshift shields; milk bottles become petrol bombs; laundry detergent is the centrepiece of a riot; doors close on relatives that would not open again. For those who live in Northern Ireland, the simple facts of daily life are political.
What does a fount of broken type mean?
This means a group attack. Suddenlyas the riot squad moved in, it was. raining exclamation marks, Nuts, bolts, nails, car-keys. A fount of brokentype.
What poem is similar to poppies?
Remains, by Simon Armitage and Poppies, by Jane Weir are both poems written to show the impact of memory on different people. Remains focuses on the traumatic memories of a soldier while Poppies is linked to the memories of a bereaved mother. Both poems use first person.
What poem should I compare exposure to?
Try comparing Exposure to these other poems: Remains by Simon Armitage. Anthem For Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen.
What does Belfast mean in Gaelic?
Name. The name Belfast derives from the Irish Béal Feirsde, later spelt Béal Feirste (Irish pronunciation: [bʲeːlˠ ˈfʲɛɾˠ(ə)ʃtʲə]) The word béal means “mouth” or “river-mouth” while feirsde/feirste is the genitive singular of fearsaid and refers to a sandbar or tidal ford across a river’s mouth.
Why is punctuation used in Belfast Confetti?
The poem ‘Belfast Confetti,’ one of the best-known poems of Ciaran Carson, pulls the reader into the aftermath of Belfast’s sectarian riot. He has used punctuation to symbolize missiles that Protestants used during this riot, which was against the Catholic crowd in Belfast.
What are natives of Belfast called?
According to some websites, we’re called Belfastians, but frankly, no-one has ever used that word in public and we’ve never seen it on anything official. And let’s face it, it’s just not snappy to call people from Belfast, ‘people from Belfast‘ all the time.
What does orange mean in Belfast?
The colour Orange symbolizes Ireland’s Protestant minority and the Imperial ascendency established by King William III and Queen Mary in the aftermath of the glorious revolution which saw the overthrow of the Catholic King James II who was the last reigning monarch to practice Roman Catholicism while on the British
Is Sandy Row in Belfast Catholic or Protestant?
Protestant
It is a traditionally Protestant, close-knit loyalist community, noted for its elaborate Orange Order parades on the Twelfth, with over 40 Arches erected in its streets and a marching band of teenaged girls known as the “Sandy Row Girl’s Band”.
Is Belfast City Centre Catholic or Protestant?
Catholic
As you can see, west Belfast is mainly Catholic, in most areas over 90%. For many years, the Catholic population expanded to the southwest, but in recent years it has started expanding around the Shankill and into north Belfast. The east of the city is predominantly Protestant, typically 90% or more.
What is a Millie in Belfast?
millie (plural millies) (informal, Northern Ireland, dated, 19th century, derogatory or endearing) A mill worker, usually a young working-class woman working in the factories of Ireland’s linen industry. (informal, derogatory or endearing) A harshly-spoken working-class woman, often unemployed.
Is Ireland Catholic or Protestant?
Ireland has two main religious groups. The majority of Irish are Roman Catholic, and a smaller number are Protestant (mostly Anglicans and Presbyterians). However, there is a majority of Protestants in the northern province of Ulster.
What are the holes in milk jugs for?
The circular indentations allow the milk jug to flex slightly, rather than keeping a solid, rigid shape. This is super important if you ever happen to accidentally drop a gallon of milk.
What was Carsons central metaphor in the poem?
Carson’s “Belfast Confetti” compares the frenzied brutality of a riot to ordinary punctuation and this extended metaphor forms the basis of the entire poem.
What technique is raining exclamation marks?
The most striking element of ‘Belfast Confetti’ is the way Carson uses the idea of punctuation within this scene of violence and confusion. For example, after an explosion, it begins ‘raining exclamation marks’. This is effective because exclamation marks suggest surprise or fear.
What is Enjambment poem?
Enjambment, from the French meaning “a striding over,” is a poetic term for the continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line of poetry to the next. An enjambed line typically lacks punctuation at its line break, so the reader is carried smoothly and swiftly—without interruption—to the next line of the poem.