![]() ![]() In fact, the poet spent the first 27 years of life working as a farmer and shoemaker in his native town before attempting to make a living out of his writing aspirations. Seamus Heaney noted Kavanagh as an influence of his work, and much of Kavanagh’s poems are also based on rural experiences, using them as a window to explore universal themes, topics and issues. Selected poems: Mid Term Break, Requiem for the Croppies, Diggingīorn in 1904, Patrick Kavanagh was another poet to come from a rural background, this time from the somewhat disadvantaged area of Iniskeen in county Monaghan. On his death bed minutes before he passed away, he texted his last words to his wife: ‘Noli Timere’ – Latin for ‘do not be afraid’. ![]() He was happily married for over 40 years, raised three children, and divided his time between Ireland and the United States, where he spent many years as a Poet in Residence and lecturer at Harvard and other universities. Unlike Yeats, Heaney’s private life was largely peaceful. His poems are extremely accessible making great use of the five senses, and are still regularly taught on school curriculums all over the world. Born and raised in rural Northern Ireland with a total of eight siblings, much of Heaney’s early life was spent on the family farm and as such, many of his poems are based on rural experiences. Another Nobel Prize winner, the long list of accolades and awards he received throughout his life is seemingly endless. Ireland’s most treasured poet of modern times is without a doubt Seamus Heaney, who died in 2013 at the age of 74. Selected poems: Easter 1916, Lake Isle of Innisfree, The Tower Years later he proposed to her daughter instead, and was also refused! You may also be interested in reading our recent blog post on 150 Years of W.B. He proposed marriage to her multiple times over several years, and she refused each time, opting instead to marry Yeats’ worst enemy, Major John McBride. He spent most of his life infatuated with a lady by the name of Maud Gonne, an ardent Nationalist activist. He is considered to be one of the foremost writers of 20 th century literature both in Ireland and the world, and was also highly involved in the Nationalist movement – the prime of his career coincided with events such as the 1916 Rising and the civil war of the early 1920s – and served two terms as a Senator for the Irish Free State. As a young poet, he was more inclined to create slow moving lyrical poems, while in his later career he delved more into realism and political commentary. The themes of mysticism and occultism preoccupied him throughout his life and are very apparent in all of his work also. Born in 1865 in Dublin, he spent much of his childhood in Sligo which provided great inspiration for his early work. Nobel Prize winning William Butler Yeats is definitely the most well known poet to come from Irish shores, as much for his body of work as his turbulent private life. If you are interested in Irish poetry you may also be interested in reading our most recent blog post on Great Irish Writers Here is just a brief summary of their lives and their work. Possibly the most difficult and most romantic of all forms of written art, becoming a successful poet is no easy task, but Ireland has produced more than one – much more than one, in fact! Although there is a vast choice on offer, we picked 10 of the best poets to explore. One particular side effect of this age-old tradition is a fondness for the written word Ireland has produced countless acclaimed authors, playwrights, songwriters, journalists, and of course, poets. Ireland has a proud storytelling tradition, something that has been passed down from generation to generation for centuries.
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