Don't be surprised if I demur, for, be advised My passport's green. No glass of ours was ever raised To toast The Queen.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Heaney explains his refusal to toast the British Queen due to his Irish identity and political stance.
- In plain terms
- He won't toast the Queen because he is Irish and disagrees with them.
- What can you take from it?
- Personal identity often guides political actions and loyalties.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What symbols do you refuse to honor?
- How does your identity shape your choices?
Another view
It reflects a specific historical context that may not apply universally.
More from Seamus Heaney
Is there life before death? That's chalked up In Ballymurphy. Competence with pain, Coherent miseries, a bite and a sup, We hug our little destiny again.
Permalink to quote #4 History says don't hope On this side of the grave. But then, once in a lifetime The longed for tidal wave Of justice can rise up And hope and history rhyme.
Permalink to quote #6 God is a foreman with certain definite views Who orders life in shifts of work and leisure.
Permalink to quote #3
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