"Easter 1916" by William Butler Yeats

Ireland has always been a country of instability. For six hundred years it has been occupied by English forces. For six hundred years, it has been divided at the hands of English implants. For six hundred years, the English presence has been threatening to decimate Irish cultural values. At the turn of the nineteenth century, a new movement to restore Irish heritage to the emerald isle was gaining momentum. It was a time of uncertainty. A new generation of Irish people was looking for an identity, and a new generation of artists was catering to them. They were embracing Irish culture and questioning the English presence on their island. Out of this cultural revival rose an unlikely hero. There rose a man, who, out of his own personal ambitions, became an inspiration to an entire people. William Butler Yeats became known as one of the greatest poet's in Irish history, and his writings inspired a nation revolution. One of his poems in particular, "Easter 1916," was used to embrace the Irish cause. …