Conclusion

The fights for Irish independence directly influenced W.B. Yeats and James Joyce, since the fighting for the Irish state took place during their lifetime. Yeats aptly showed the good and the evil in the fight for Irish independence in his poetry. Joyce showed the pervasiveness of Irish nationalism in his short stories, especially those that preceded Irish independence such as “The Dead”. Earlier Irish writers, such as Jonathon Swift, first made the poor treatment of the Irish well known throughout the British Isles and grew the discussion of Irish independence. British writers such as Robert Burns and Charles Dickens were not Irish, but helped increase Irish nationalism with their elevation of heritage and poverty awareness. And later 20th century writers (especially those from Northern Ireland, such as Heaney and Muldoon) continued to define the discussion of the Irish state and communicated the continued injustice that took place after independence. All of these writers gave their own unique perspective and influence to the overall picture of Irish independence and nationalism.