Dear Michele
I am offering you a swift reply to your question about
'Ulster', but I will also forward it to my colleagues to see if anyone has
anything to add.
At the time this poem was written (1912) there was a
Liberal government in power in the United Kingdom, which aimed to give Home Rule
to Ireland through a Home Rule Bill which provided for an all-Ireland
Parliament, subject to the Westminster Parliament, but responsible for
all-Ireland domestic affairs, and for taxation to support government in
Ireland. This objective had been dear to the hearts of Liberals since
William Gladstone, but was violently opposed by the Conservative (and
Unionist) Party, and by the highly vocal protestant interest in Ulster,
which had close links with the Conservative Party in England. The Ulster
Protestants were prepared to resist any such plan by force of arms if
need be (The Ulster Volunteer Force had been raised by Edward Carson, though I
am not certain whether it was in existence when the poem was written) and the
loyalty of the British army to the Liberal Government was by no means
certain.
Home Rule in Ireland was anathema to Kipling, who
supported the right wing of the Conservative party. Kipling feared that
Britain might well have to fight a European war before very long, and was
violently opposed to anything which weakened the authority of the Imperial
Parliament, and gave opportunities to England's enemies. Throughout the decade
running up to the outbreak of war Kipling's voice was frequently raised to rouse
his countrymen and their leaders and their opinion-formers, to be ready to face
the perils ahead, and 'Ulster' was yet another call to stand firm. As Andrew
Lycett points out in his recent biography of Rudyard Kipling (page 437) in
1914 Rudyard regarded Ulster as more important than Germany or any other
issue...'taking a historical perspective, he believed that if Ulster was pushed
to the brink it would call for support in Germany' "An Ulster or an
Ireland handed over to the Celt means an appeal for outside intervention as in
1688. That is what I fear horribly" he wrote to the his friend Gwynne, the
Editor of the Morning Post.
I hope this goes some way towards explaining the tone
and urgency of the poem: in the last verse Kipling seems to identify himself
forcefully with the Ulster Protestants, when he says:
"What answer from the North, One Law, one Land, one
Throne
If England drive us forth, we shall not fall
alone"
John Radcliffe, Electronic Editor, the Kipling
Society
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2000 12:17
PM
Subject: kipling's poem "Ulster
1912"
Dear Mr. Smith,
I have just found your website.
I am a mature student and I have a history exam in a few
days time. Part of our exam involves a pre-seen document analysis.
We have been given four documents and have to select one to analyse in
detail. One of them is Kipling's poem "Ulster 1912".
Would you be able to help me make sense of it? I know
the general picture is about the fear of Home Rule to Ireland and that Mr.
Kipling was a staunch Imperialist.
I am, no doubt, being very cheeky, but if you don't
ask;;;?
If you can help I would be most grateful.
Regards.
Michele Jones (Ms.)
