Words That Burn

This week on Words That Burn, we delve into the powerful and moving poem "The Language Ban" from Annemarie Ní Churreáin's acclaimed 2021 collection, The Poison Glen. Join me as we explore the hidden history of Irish Sign Language (ISL) and the devastating impact of its suppression. Discover the story of St. Joseph's School for Deaf Boys in Cabra, Dublin, and how the controversial 1880 Milan Conference led to a policy of "Oralism," forcing a spoken language upon deaf children and branding their native sign language as shameful. I'll unpack Ní Churreáin's potent imagery, from the "state makers" who "banished" the signs to the demonisation of the hand itself within a deeply religious and colonial context. This episode explores: * The dark history behind The Poison Glen and its connection to Irish folklore and the suppression of a nation's past. * The crucial difference between Irish Sign Language (ISL) and other sign languages, and how it evolved uniquely within Irish culture. * The devastating impact of the Milan Conference and the enforcement of Oralism on the Irish deaf community. * The parallels between the suppression of ISL and the historical attempts to eradicate the Irish language (Gaeilge), including the use of the "tally stick." * A deep-dive analysis of Annemarie Ní Churreáin's "The Language Ban," examining its structure, folkloric references (the hawthorn and the Salmon of Knowledge), and its powerful conclusion on the "forced grammar" imposed on a community. Join the conversation as we discuss how poetry can unearth forgotten histories and give voice to the silenced. This is essential listening for anyone interested in Irish history, poetry, disability studies, and the enduring power of language. Follow the Podcast: Read the Script on Substack [https://open.substack.com/pub/wordsthatburn/p/the-language-ban-by-annemarie-ni?r=th4eb&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true] Follow the Podcast On Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/wordsthatburnpodcast/] Follow the Podcast on X/Twitter [https://twitter.com/wordsthatburn] Follow the Podcast on Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsthatburn2?lang=en] Follow the podcast on Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/wordsthatburn.bsky.social] The Music In This Week's Episode: 'Incredulity' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Donation Link:  Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign: http://www.ipsc.ie/support/donate [http://www.ipsc.ie/support/donate] In this episode of Words That Burn, I take a closer look at "Door on the Road," by Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha. The poem opens with the aftermath of an explosion in a refugee camp, where a fallen door becomes a grave marker for a young man whose only remaining connection to his past is a worn key — the key to his family’s lost home in Yaffa. As I unpack the powerful imagery in Abu Toha’s work, I explore how everyday objects like doors and keys become symbolic vessels for profound loss, memory, and hope in the context of forced displacement. I also delve into the historical significance of Yaffa, a once-thriving Palestinian city now largely inaccessible to its original inhabitants, and how the city’s erasure is mirrored in the poem’s narrative. Throughout the episode, I draw connections between the poem and Abu Toha’s 2024 poetry collection Forest of Noise, a body of work that documents life in Gaza through stark, evocative imagery and deeply personal narratives. I discuss how the collection uses poetry as a means of bearing witness to everyday atrocities and preserving cultural memory amidst conflict. 00:00 The Poem 01:14 Introduction to Words That Burn Podcast 01:26 Support for Palestine 02:52 Mosab Abu Toha: A Witness Poet 06:27 Analyzing 'Door on the Road' 08:02 The Symbolism of the Door 14:02 The Key to Yaffa 22:10 The Tragic Reality of Palestinian Life 27:11 Final Thoughts and Call to Action Follow Mosab Abu Toha [https://www.instagram.com/mosab_abutoha/?hl=en] Follow the Podcast: Read the Script on Substack [https://open.substack.com/pub/wordsthatburn/p/door-on-the-road-by-mosab-abu-toha?r=th4eb&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true] Follow the Podcast On Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/wordsthatburnpodcast/] Follow the Podcast on X/Twitter [https://twitter.com/wordsthatburn] Follow the Podcast on Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsthatburn2?lang=en] Follow the podcast on Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/wordsthatburn.bsky.social] The Music In This Week's Episode: 'Echoes' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

In this episode of Words That Burn, I take a closer look at Ophelia’s Head Is Finished by the brilliant poet Olga Dermott-Bond—a haunting and layered ekphrastic response to John Everett Millais’ iconic painting Ophelia. Inspired by a chilling epigraph from one of Millais’ 1852 letters, the poem invites us to reconsider what lies beneath the surface of this romanticised artwork, and to centre the overlooked woman at its heart: Elizabeth Siddal. As I explore the poem stanza by stanza, I reflect on its gothic tone, its critique of the Pre-Raphaelite obsession with beauty, and the physical toll of artistic creation on real women. The lines between Siddal and Shakespeare’s Ophelia, between art history and lived experience, begin to blur—and what emerges is a powerful meditation on agency, endurance, and the quiet violence of expectation. Throughout the episode, I talk about the tradition of ekphrasis—poetry inspired by visual art—and how Dermott-Bond uses it not just to interpret but to reclaim. If you’re curious about the intersections between poetry, painting, feminism, and forgotten voices, I think you’ll get a lot out of this one. 00:00 The Poem 01:26 Welcome to Words That Burn 01:41 Context and Epigraph Analysis 02:34 Exploring the Poem's Themes 03:06 Historical Context of Ophelia 12:20 The Pre-Raphaelite Movement 13:49 Elizabeth Siddal's Story 15:01 Analysing the Poem's Stanzas 25:33 The Final Stanza and Conclusion Resources & Links: Millais' Ophelia [https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/ophelia-sir-john-everett-millais/-wGU6cT4JixtPA?hl=en] The Story Behind Ophelia by Kelly Richman-Abdou [https://mymodernmet.com/john-everett-millais-ophelia/] Alluvia [https://mymodernmet.com/alluvia-jason-decaires-taylor/] Follow the Podcast: Read the Script on Substack [https://open.substack.com/pub/wordsthatburn/p/ophelias-head-is-finished-by-olga?r=th4eb&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true] Follow the Podcast On Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/wordsthatburnpodcast/] Follow the Podcast on X/Twitter [https://twitter.com/wordsthatburn] Follow the Podcast on Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsthatburn2?lang=en] Follow the podcast on Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/wordsthatburn.bsky.social] The Music In This Week's Episode: ‘Meanwhile’ by Scott Buckley – released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

In this episode of Words That Burn, poet Maurice Riordan joins Ben to reflect on a career-spanning selection of poems curated by former student and fellow poet Jack Underwood. With the new Selected Poems from Faber and Faber arranged out of chronology, Riordan discusses how themes like rural life, modernity, nature, and time emerge more clearly—and more hauntingly—across decades of work. Together, they explore how poetry manipulates time, the influence of film and science, the uncanny weight of Irish myth, and what it means to write with one foot in the past and the other in an overcrowded present. From candlelit farmhouses to televised World Cups, Riordan’s work straddles eras, places, and emotional states—always grounded in vivid, startling imagery. Poems discussed include Rural Electrification, 1956, The Flight, The Lull, Timeout, Gone With the Wind, and Badb, among others. 00:00 Introduction to the Podcast 00:06 Maurice Riordan's Selected Poems 00:48 Themes and Evolution in Maurice's Work 03:15 Rural Electrification and Early Influences 06:35 The Power of Imagery in Poetry 12:28 Cinematic Influences on Poetry 17:21 Observations and Domestic Themes 21:23 Exploring Connection with Nature 25:50 The Influence of Irish Mythology 30:24 Reflections on Isolation and Alienation 33:01 Balancing Life Between London and Cork 34:42 The Intersection of Poetry and Science 37:26 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Follow the Podcast: Read the Script on Substack [https://open.substack.com/pub/wordsthatburn/p/an-interview-with-poet-maurice-riordan?r=th4eb&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true] Follow the Podcast On Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/wordsthatburnpodcast/] Follow the Podcast on X/Twitter [https://twitter.com/wordsthatburn] Follow the Podcast on Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsthatburn2?lang=en] Follow the podcast on Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/wordsthatburn.bsky.social] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Spring Song by Reg Saner: an eternal cycle we're all lucky to have In this episode of 'Words That Burn,' Reg Saner's poem 'Spring Song.' is the central focus With spring setting in, the episode explores the poetic beauty and profound themes in Saner's work, such as points of intersection and transition, cyclical nature, and the ineffable qualities of the natural world. It also uncovers some fascinating aspects of Saner's life, including the roots of his obsession with conservation, his varied career as a soldier, professor, conservationist, and poet, and his eventual shift from poetry to essays. Join me as I take a look at a true hidden gem of American poetry, a man who eventually left the art form behind, but also left an indelible and distinct imprint on it too. 00:00 Introduction to Spring Song 00:37 Welcome to Words That Burn 01:45 Exploring Reg Saner's Background 04:09 Analysing the Poem's Imagery 06:31 The Cyclical Nature of Seasons 09:22 Orpheus and the Paradox of Change 10:27 Final Thoughts and Reflections 11:51 Contact Information Follow the Podcast: Read the Script on Substack [https://open.substack.com/pub/wordsthatburn/p/spring-song-by-reg-saner?r=th4eb&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true] Follow the Podcast On Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/wordsthatburnpodcast/] Follow the Podcast on X/Twitter [https://twitter.com/wordsthatburn] Follow the Podcast on Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsthatburn2?lang=en] Follow the podcast on Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/wordsthatburn.bsky.social] The Music In This Week's Episode: 'Petrichor' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.