The poem becomes somewhat of an elegy for lost art, specifically the loss of both the oral and gaelic poet.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/entertainment/books/2003/02/23/the-professional-literary-cast/e7c2122f-8e1a-4b88-aeae-65cca3b44738/

As defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, firmament refers to "The arch or vault of heaven overhead, in which the clouds and the stars appear; the sky or heavens. In modern use only poetic or rhetorical."

"firmament, n." OED Online, Oxford University Press, September 2019, www.oed.com/view/Entry/70586. Accessed 23 October 2019

In an interview, Boland claims to have drawn inspiration for the collections title poem from an news paper image regarding a double murder in 1988.

Carlisle Pier

Death by burning was a common for individuals convicted of heresy or witchcraft up until the late 1800's.

Interestingly, Boland uses the Roman accolade Ceres, while opting for the Greek version of Persephone. In keeping with Roman traditions, Persephone would be refferred to as Proserpina.

The abduction of Persephone

William Butler Yeats's "The Dolls."

Quadrille is a form of square dance typically performed by four couples, or more, entailing multiple step sequences, or figures. Each figure is considered to be its own dance. In Boland’s native Ireland, the quadrille is a form of folk dance. The Irish Traditional Music Archive claims the quadrille is the most popular Irish set-dance, having-been introduced to Ireland from soldiers returning home from the Napoleonic wars in 1815 (“Music for the Quadrille”). Since then, quadrilles have been adapted to various forms of traditional Irish music, dance, and even oral traditions. Moreover, a quadrille could also be defined as the musical piece a traditional quadrille is danced to. The dance is considered to be a type of ballroom style. Having originated in France, the quadrille is a variation of dance performed at cotillion, an event where young women were first introduced into high society. As it was originally performed, although including four couples, the choreography included only four dancers; the remaining four simply stood for added effect, or “convenience” (Wilson 1-2).

Today, the quadrille encompasses many forms, as it has been adapted across many cultures. In the Caribbean, the dance was first performed comically as a parody, mocking colonial families (Daniel 216). (The above photo depicts various quadrille sequences or figures, from Thomas Wilson's The Quadrille and Cotillion Panorama)

References: Daniel, Yvonne. “An Ethnographic Comparison of Caribbean Quadrilles.” Black Music Research Journal, vol. 30, no. 2, 2010, pp. 215–240. Feb. 30, 2015, U of Illinois P, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/blacmusiresej.

“Music for the Quadrille in Ireland, 1800’s.” Printed Collections, Irish Traditional Music Archive, Oct. 1, 2010, www.itma.ie/features/printed-collections/quadrille-in-ireland.

"Quadrille, n.1." OED Online, Oxford University Press, September 2019, www.oed.com/view/Entry/155731.

“Quadrille: Excerpt from How To Dance Through Time, Vol 6, A 19th Century Ball.” YouTube, uploaded by DanceTime Publication, March 12, 2009, www.youtu.be/xLvt-Tss_mU.

Wilson, Thomas. The Quadrille and Cotillion Panorama. Library of Congress, 2nd ed., R. & E. Williamson, March 30, 1822, www.loc.gov/item/42049714.

The Shelbourne is currently a hotel on Saint Stephens Green, the largest square in Dublin. Found in 1824, the hotel is named after William Petty, the second Earl of Shelburne. Shelburne once lived at the location and served as the Prime Minister of England from 1782 to 1783. According to its website, the hotel has historically catered to the international elite (“Timeless”). During the Easter Rising of 1916, the hotel was taken by British troops attempting to dispel the rebels. Later in 1922, it was again taken. Garrisoned a second time by the army of the Free State, it played host to the first Constitutional drafting of Ireland (O'Hara).

References: “A Timeless Historic Hotel in Dublin.” The Shelbourne, www.theshelbourne.com/history.

O'Hara, Leonie. "Dublin's Shelbourne Hotel has witnessed key events in Irish History." Irish Central, Mar. 29, 2018, www.irishcentral.com/roots/shelbourne-hotel-history.

Here, "Easter in Dublin" refers to the Easter Rising of 1916. The rebellion was staged by Irish revolutionaries against British rule in Ireland, with the intent of establishing and Irish Republic. The rebels took control of several prominent buildings in Dublin, including the General Post Office. Within a week, the uprising had been expelled leaving 2,000 people either dead or injured ("Easter Rising"). Prominent leaders of the insurrection were later executed, causing a large shift in support for Irish Nationalism. Famous poet William Butler Yeats immortalized the event in his popular poems "Easter 1916," and "Sixteen Dead Men."

References: "Easter Rising." HISTORY, A&E Television Networks, Nov. 9, 2009, www.history.com/topics/british-history/easter-rising.