I WONT GO BACK TO IT - IRISH WOMEN POETS AND THE ICONIC FEMININE

This paper explores the dynamic interaction between contemporary Irish women poets and the notion of tradition in Irish poetry. Looking at t he work of Eavan Boland, Susan Connolly, Paula Donlon, Mary Dorcey, Pa ula Meehan and Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill, the paper suggests that women poet s today are subverting tradition and destabilizing a conventionally ac cepted fusion of the feminine with the national. This is achieved thro ugh direct challenge, through dislocation and through establishing a d ialogue between the mythical and the real in the context of the lived experience of women in Ireland. Finally, the paper suggests the potent ial for civil and social effect of the work of women who engage consci ously in the process of giving women an active voice.