Foreward (The Grand Horseman, Flood of Flames, Peaceful Demise, Family Matters, Libation)

The following works are examples of many different genres and styles. The first piece “Libation”, is a poem about an ancient Greek religious ceremony. The poem uses the imagery of this ceremony, which is one of celebration and revelry to discuss and exaggerate issues with drinking culture. It is written in the style of a Shakespearian sonnet, using the typical sonnet rhyme scheme. The piece was inspired by “Neurasthenia”, a poem by Agnes Mary Robinson. Following this poem, there is a shift into the realm of the short story. “A Flood of Flames” places itself in the small town of Glencullen in Mayo, far from civilisation, where the concept of a village omertà reigns. The story fits into the genre of horror and mystery, granting the reader a sense of unease and a harrowing twist. “A Flood of Flames” was inspired by the novels of Stephen King, a prolific influencer on this portfolio. Sticking with the genre of short story, “The Grand Horseman” is the next work in the portfolio. Unlike the other pieces, this story fits into the genre of dark comedy, a genre that my writing had never before ventured into. This trial run of the genre was inspired by the plays of Harold Pinter and Martin McDonagh, whose expertise in dialogue laid the foundation for this story. The tale is one of morality, with the character of Davey drinking away his sorrows before a trial hearing within a stingy pub called The Grand Horseman. Davey and Barman Dooley converse back and forth over the reliability of a fiat punto, as the story swells to reveal Davey’s crime of running over a child. The dark twist, and seemingly lack of awareness to the severity of the crime are what makes the story off putting. It attempts to bring the reader down a path of levity before subtly introducing the disturbing concept of child violence. It was an experiment in writing about disturbing realities in a style that could be described as more farcical than real. The next story, “A Peaceful Demise” shifts gears tremendously and enters the world of fantasy. Unlike many fantasy pieces, this story is not about heroics but of acceptance. As Freya, the beast hunting protagonist kills the monstrosity, she is fatally wounded. The story accepts death’s embrace and brings hero and foe closer together in a scene of respect. Freya’s character still embodies the idea of farce, but also offers a slight hint of realism. The fantastical element of the piece is the slain beast, who the reader does not get to see fight. Instead, they are subjected to the monster’s last breaths, a calming moment for such a fierce creature. The final story within the portfolio is “Family Matters”. This short story takes place in a nondescript graveyard, where the Gormley brothers are digging up their mother’s grave. This story once again explores morality, however this time in regards to familial matters. The dumping of their murdered father into the grave shows not only a lack of respect for their parents but leaves the reader to wonder what the parents could have done to deserve such treatment after death, if anything at all. This story was a reaction to Harold Pinter’s “The Homecoming”, whose unethical and somewhat deranged characters spawned an interest in dark matters related to family. It was also written to see how readers would react to unconventional treatment of the dead, something society deems deserving of respect. This portfolio aims to disturb conventional forms by tackling unorthodox scenarios, whilst also exploring the use of tested genres such as the Shakespearean sonnet in a modern context.