Division within the community and the self in the work of Yeats and Heaney

1799 map of Ireland by the English map publisher Clement Cruttwell (detail)

Ever since the arrival of the first Norman knights in the 12th century, the island of Ireland has seen a substantial amount of conflict. From struggles with foreign powers and rulers to conflict within itself. As a result of the many centuries of conflict, the country developed into one of sharply drawn divisions even between fellow Irishmen and women; this…