An Irish poetic form or vision, typically featuring a beautiful woman representing Ireland, used especially in 18th-century Irish poetry.
From Irish 'aisling' meaning vision or dream. A specifically Irish literary tradition that emerged as a coded form of national and political expression during English occupation.
The aisling was Irish poets' secret weapon—they wrote romantic poems about mysterious beautiful women, but everyone knew the 'woman' represented Ireland itself, allowing them to express political resistance through beautiful metaphor that fooled censors.
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