Irish writers and poets
Friday, March 16, 2007, 7:46 AM
To name a few...Joyce, Stoker, Yeats, Swift, Wilde
Let's start with probably the most widely recognized...
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce: Born 2 February 1882 in Dublin – Died 13 January 1941 in Zurich. His major works are Dubliners, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Ulysses..of course, and Finnegan's Wake.
Picture of his statue on O'Connell street in Dublin.
I have to confess to never having read any of the authors work and have put Ulysses on my library hold list. Ulysses was completed in 1922 and was banned in the U.S. for using obscene language, until 1933.
Did you know Bram Stoker born Abraham Stoker was born just north of Dublin in Clontarf? Meaning that he was Irish? I didn't. November 8, 1847–April 20, 1912. His most famous work of course is Dracula, published in 1897. His other works include The Snake's Pass (1890), The Jewel of Seven Stars (1903), and The Lair of the White Worm (1911).
Abraham "Bram" Stoker
Then, there's one of my favorite poet/authors....William Butler Yeats. He was born 13 June, 1865 in Sandymount, Co Dublin but moved to Co Sligo as a young boy. His mother was born in Sligo. His father was an accomplished artist and his brother and sisters all acquired fame of their own talents. I am currently reading his book of Fairy Tales. There are too many published works to list here but he is also famous for reviving literature in Ireland and for cofounding Abbey Theater.
This picture is taken outside the rectory door of Drumcliffe Church where Yeats is buried. Unfortunately, the pic I had of his headstone...is one of the corrupted files on my picture CD. Also...if you've ever watched "The Quiet Man" this is the same church that John Wayne talks to Maureen O'Hara for the first time. Yeats died 28 January, 1939.
Jonathan Swift was born November 30, 1667 in Dublin – and died October 19, 1745. Gulliver's Travels first printed in November 1726, being his most popular work although like Yeats, was a most prolific writer. However, it seems that Gulliver's Travel's may also be coded and is based on real cryptographic technique. Interesting!
Thank you wikipedia
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was born October 16th, 1854 and like Yeats was born of an Anglo-Irish family. I also had a lovely pic of his statue in Merrion Square, Dublin but...yes, it is corrupted. (I can't tell you how that ticks me off) He is reported to have been in love with a Florence Balcomb who then became married to Bram Stoker at which time Oscar left Ireland and vowed never to return. However, he did return twice for brief visits and died November 30th, 1900 in Paris France. His most famous works would be The Importance of Being Earnest, Salomé, and The Picture of Dorian Gray.
George Bernard Shaw was also born in Dublin in July of 1856 and died November 2 1950 in England. He is a renowned playwright with Pygmalion maybe his most popular as well as Candida not to be confused with Candide and Arms and the Man.
Then there is Frank McCourt, who, although born in Brooklyn, grew up in Limerick, wrote Angela's Ashes. And Maeve Binchy, who was becoming quite prolific and wrote Circle of Friends but alas, has retired from writing. Also there is Samuel Barclay Beckett who has won a Nobel prize (as did many of the authors above) but not only have I not read any of his work...I never heard of him until I was researching this post. The only Sam Beckett I ever heard of was Dr. Samuel Beckett on the T.V. series, "Quantum Leap". Also in that category is Maria Edgeworth, although English born she moved to Ireland as a young girl and became thoroughly Irish.
If you can't tell....my "hold" list at the library grows longer by the minute. I did read Angela's Ashes and found it to be utterly depressing and yet my mum found it to be vastly amusing. I guess I am more American than Irish, for I found little humor in the suffering. All I did was get angry at the deprivation, disease and destituteness. (is that a word?) And although it won a Pulitzer...there has been much criticism of it's veracity as a memoir.
Nonetheless, there you have a smattering of the most "famous" Irish authors and poets. There are many, many more to be sure. And I tried my hand at writing...even took a course in it. I can make a grand start...but then I fail. So, I bow low and long to the expertise and genius of the above authors.
♥Pam
| Permalink | By Pam and Bill
Abraham "Bram" Stoker
Then, there's one of my favorite poet/authors....William Butler Yeats. He was born 13 June, 1865 in Sandymount, Co Dublin but moved to Co Sligo as a young boy. His mother was born in Sligo. His father was an accomplished artist and his brother and sisters all acquired fame of their own talents. I am currently reading his book of Fairy Tales. There are too many published works to list here but he is also famous for reviving literature in Ireland and for cofounding Abbey Theater.
This picture is taken outside the rectory door of Drumcliffe Church where Yeats is buried. Unfortunately, the pic I had of his headstone...is one of the corrupted files on my picture CD. Also...if you've ever watched "The Quiet Man" this is the same church that John Wayne talks to Maureen O'Hara for the first time. Yeats died 28 January, 1939.
Jonathan Swift was born November 30, 1667 in Dublin – and died October 19, 1745. Gulliver's Travels first printed in November 1726, being his most popular work although like Yeats, was a most prolific writer. However, it seems that Gulliver's Travel's may also be coded and is based on real cryptographic technique. Interesting!
Thank you wikipedia
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was born October 16th, 1854 and like Yeats was born of an Anglo-Irish family. I also had a lovely pic of his statue in Merrion Square, Dublin but...yes, it is corrupted. (I can't tell you how that ticks me off) He is reported to have been in love with a Florence Balcomb who then became married to Bram Stoker at which time Oscar left Ireland and vowed never to return. However, he did return twice for brief visits and died November 30th, 1900 in Paris France. His most famous works would be The Importance of Being Earnest, Salomé, and The Picture of Dorian Gray.
George Bernard Shaw was also born in Dublin in July of 1856 and died November 2 1950 in England. He is a renowned playwright with Pygmalion maybe his most popular as well as Candida not to be confused with Candide and Arms and the Man.
Then there is Frank McCourt, who, although born in Brooklyn, grew up in Limerick, wrote Angela's Ashes. And Maeve Binchy, who was becoming quite prolific and wrote Circle of Friends but alas, has retired from writing. Also there is Samuel Barclay Beckett who has won a Nobel prize (as did many of the authors above) but not only have I not read any of his work...I never heard of him until I was researching this post. The only Sam Beckett I ever heard of was Dr. Samuel Beckett on the T.V. series, "Quantum Leap". Also in that category is Maria Edgeworth, although English born she moved to Ireland as a young girl and became thoroughly Irish.
If you can't tell....my "hold" list at the library grows longer by the minute. I did read Angela's Ashes and found it to be utterly depressing and yet my mum found it to be vastly amusing. I guess I am more American than Irish, for I found little humor in the suffering. All I did was get angry at the deprivation, disease and destituteness. (is that a word?) And although it won a Pulitzer...there has been much criticism of it's veracity as a memoir.
Nonetheless, there you have a smattering of the most "famous" Irish authors and poets. There are many, many more to be sure. And I tried my hand at writing...even took a course in it. I can make a grand start...but then I fail. So, I bow low and long to the expertise and genius of the above authors.
♥Pam
| Permalink | By Pam and Bill
I'm Pam and Bill.
We are DINKS with DOGS & CATS and chickens and someday turkeys.
Met on a blind date in October of 1993 and married in August of 1994. We have five dogs and three cats.
We live on about 105 or so acres in Southern Vermont. About 12 acres of pasture and the rest is woodland..
4 Comments:
Cool stuff!
I worked as part of the set crew for The Important of Being Earnest as an ungrad and had a speaking role in Pygmalion as an undergrad.
Very cool information and I am going to check out the link to Swift's encoding. Way Cool!
That's wild about Bram Stoker! I never knew! Damn, those Irish can spin a tale :-)
I was not aware of those author's irish beginnings. Likie Janet said... spining a tale is all things Irish.
Pam
Yeats was one of me Mum's favourite authors. When we travelled there together she was always quoting the first paragraph of following from him:
The Lake Isle of Innisfree
I WILL arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean rows will I have there, a hive for the honey bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.
And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet's wings.
I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements gray,
I hear it in the deep heart's core.
When my uncle was here for the funeral, I had him write it down (never thought to look it up on the internet), because it was him and her who kept reciting it together throughout the holiday.
Imagine my surprise when I watched a movie a week or so after her death and this same verse was quoted in the movie. I can't remember what movie it was now. I wish I could. Of course I broke into tears, thinking it was a way of my Mum trying to communicate with me.
I loved Firefly Summer from Maeve Binchy. I am now reading Whitethorn Woods from her. I'm sorry to hear she is no longer writing. I will have to read all of her past books then.
It's funny what you said about Angela's Ashes. I loved it and so did my Mum. She was born around the same time as Frank McCourt, and they weren't as poor as his family by any means, but they weren't rich either so I liked to hear the story and think about how it must have been for Mum. My aunt hated the book. Just like you she found it too depressing. She used to say, "It's a disgrace to Ireland". I found that funny coming from her because she was always Canadian first and Irish second, meaning that, she embraced her new homeland with great happiness. She would visit Ireland of course, took me there for my first time when I was five, but didn't long for it like my Mum used to. My aunt was born in Sligo, because that's where my grandfather's work was at the time. My Mum was born in Tralee.
Lastly, I would recommend the book Peig, by Peig Sayers and also Blasket Memoirs. It is about life on the Blasket Islands off the south shore in Dingle, Kerry. Next time I go back to Ireland I am definitely taking the ferry boat over to visit that Island. Fascinating! I have a photo of Peig Sayers tombstone which I've put up on my ICL Snaps site
It's been lovely reading and sharing these Irish stories with you Pam. I kind of hope that we can stay in touch after you stop blogging.
Éire go Brách
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