- Aisling
The aisling (Irish for 'dream', IPA2|aɕlʲənʲ), or vision poem, is a
poetic genre that developed during the late 17th and 18th centuries inIrish language poetry. The name may have a number of variations in pronunciation, however, the first syllable always includes a "sh" sound due to the rules of Gaelic. Ash-ling is the most common pronunciation of this name. Aze-ling and Ays-ling, however, are incorrect pronunciations if one is using the name or word as Gaelic.Format
In an aisling, the island of Ireland appears to the poet in a vision in the form of a woman, sometimes young and beautiful, sometimes old and haggard. This female figure is generally referred to in the poems as a
Spéirbhean (sky-woman; pronounced 'spare van'). She laments the current state of the Irish people and predicts an imminent revival of their fortunes, usually linked to the return of a Stuart pretender to the English throne.The form developed out of an earlier, non-political genre which was essentially an Irish form of the French "
reverdie ", in which the poet meets a beautiful, supernatural woman who symbolises the spring season, the bounty of nature, and love.The first and greatest of the aisling poets was
Aogán Ó Rathaille , "athair an aisling". In his hands, the aisling is a powerful mode of political writing. In the 18th century, the form became something of an empty formula and became the target of jokes.atire
The Scottish
Jacobite poetAlasdair MacMhaighstir Alasdair poked fun at the aisling genre in his Anti-Campbell polemicAn Airce . Towards the end of the century,Munster poetBrian Merriman also parodied the aisling form in his comic masterpiece "Cúirt An Mheán Óiche".Probably the most famous example of aisling poetry is the song Róisín Dubh.
Other uses
*
LÉ Aisling (P23) s a ship in the Irish Naval service.
*Shane MacGowan and the Popes have a song on their album "The Snake " entitled "Aisling"
*"Aisling" is a poem by Seamus Heaney from the collection NORTH (1975).
* The acclaimed Irish author Ciaran Carson has said that much of his literature is based around the idea of the aisling, or, dream vision.ee also
*
Aisling (given name) - includes a list of people with this nameExternal links
* [http://www.fainne.org/danlann/gnag.html Irish text of "Gile na Gile" by Aogán Ó Rathaille]
* [http://www.fainne.org/danlann/cill.html Irish text of " Úirchill an Chreagáin", an 18th century aisling from Ulster]
* [http://medievalscotland.org/problem/names/aislinn.shtml Medieval roots of the name Aisling disputed]
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