National Identity Construction and the Nationality study of Yeats’Poetry

Zhang Pei Pei

Abstract：The current literary criticism method needs innovation to meet the requirements of the times，and draws on and absorbs existing achievements.Based on this position，this article studies the construction of ethnic identity in Yeatspoetry from the perspective of national identity construction.We find that he confirms in his works.The Irish national identity has created Irish ethnic literature that is rich in nationality and has an indelible national spirit to awaken the Irish peoples national consciousness.

Key words：identity construction；Yeats poetry；nationality

1 Conceptual definition

“Identity”is the interpretation and construction of personal experience and social status in the cultural context.“Social identity”refers to the membership of a social group to which a person belongs，and this identity is of great significance to the member in terms of emotion and values.Identity construction refers to a series of self-defining and self-constructing processes.The identity of myself and others is the product of a specific history and culture.It is the result of discourse construction.People construct their identities and gain mutual recognition in the process of communication.In the process of communication，people construct their own identity at any time and anywhere through discourse，so as to distinguish themselves from others.The national cultural identity“mainly appeals to the essential characteristics of the nation in the literature and cultural studies and the cultural essence of the national imprint”.Yeats tried to create national literature with obvious Irish characteristics.He was pursuing his Irish national identity and hoped to culturally free Ireland from the British colony and re-establish his national cultural identity.This article uses Yeats poetry works as text to discuss the construction of YeatsIrish national cultural identity from two aspects.

2 Yeatsnational identity construction is embodied in literary works

Through the Uniform Act of 1881，the United Kingdom implemented a colonial plan again and again for Ireland，bringing British names into place，reclassifying the land and permanently conquering the Irish people.Yeats from the Irish Celtic culture，from the Irish peoples national memory to excavate their national pride and self-esteem，looking for a more coordinated ethnic roots than provided by the colonial history，Yeats created the work I It is your master and poetr“Imaginary”.Irish folklore，which embodies deep national experiences and national spirits，traces the roots of Yeats and re-establishes his own identity.Yeats hopes to awaken the memories of the Irish peoples nation through these ancient legends and myths and legends，and inculcate ethnic arts to unite the entire nation.

At the beginning of the 20th century，a powerful movement known as the Celtic Revival，the Irish Renaissance，created for him Irish FarmersMyths and Legends，Western Irelands Fantasy and Belief，and Kay.The writings of Elders“Letters”provided a source of literature.This is a re-excavation of Irish mythology，which is not only the restoration of collective national memory，but also the reconstruction of Irish cultural identity.

3 Yeatspoetry reflects the Irish peoples national revolutionary consciousness

After the Easter Rising in 1916，Yeats created the poems“Easter 1916”and“September 1913”.In the culture of decolonization，Yeats spread a lot of Language，history，form.Reading these works，we not only felt the disappointment over the life controlled by the“oily money box”or the violence of roads and horses，but also the disappointment of“the mole that fights in the cave”and the ceremony of the so-called“blood sacrificial poetry”.Disappointment，he used poetry as a weapon to encourage the Irish people to restore courage and combat effectiveness and establish their own national identity.We have reason to believe that Yeats was a national poet who represented the Irish nation in the war against tyranny in Ireland.

4 Conclusion

As an Irish poet，Yeats excavated the Irish cultural symbols and gradually became the Irish national symbol.Using his own works as a weapon，he struggled to build an Irish national identity.He used his works to send out a voice of a nation，arouse the Irish national consciousness，and create the Irish nutrients from Irish history，legends，folk songs and local literature.Irish ethnic literature shaped Irish national identity，affirming Irish national identity，and Irishness is an indelible national spirit in the works of poets.

References

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[2]ChenShu.W.Yeats [J].Foreign Literature，1988（1）.

[3]Wang Ying Analysis of Identity and Identity Construction[J].Journal of Henan Normal University（Philosophy and Social Science），2008（1）.