Why Have One When You Can Have Both?

It may come as a surprise to absolutely no one but drinking and nightlife has become a very prominent part of my trip to Ireland. In every place we've been, we've gotten to see what it's like to go out and experience drinking legally; it's been a lot of fun. In Dungarvan we typically go to Lady Belle and Anchor, in Dublin we went to a number of places, in Galway there was a nightclub named Electric, and the list goes on. In all these locations there's a mix of live music, traditional music, rave music, etc. From what I've seen, Ireland is a hotpot of different genres of music and people of all ages.

I've also seen my fair share of drunkards both entertaining and slightly alarming. During one of our nights out, my friends and I witnessed an argument between a couple in an alleyway, the woman was obviously intoxicated, and the male was also but he was not dealing with the situation in the greatest way. This reminded me of the poem "A Drinking Song" by W.B. Yeats.

                                                            

                                                            Wine comes in at the mouth

                                                            And love comes in at the eye:

                                                            Thats all we shall know for truth

                                                            Before we grow old and die.

                                                            I lift the glass to my mouth,

                                                            I look at you, and I sigh

The poem is about having one thing but not the other. More specifically it's about having wine or alcohol but not love. A prominent focus is attraction and beauty, a very simple thing that can be seen as shallow. So, you may be wondering what is the connection? Well in that moment the man told the woman not to follow him. That night he had one thing and not the other, he had alcohol but possibly lost love. I obviously don't know where they are now but hopefully wherever they are the made up, so he doesn't have to follow the words "I lift the glass to my mouth/ I look at you, and I sigh"