The Penguin Book of Irish Poetry

And that moment when the bird sings very close To the music of what happens The Penguin Book of Irish Poetry features the work of the greatest Irish poets, from the monks of the ancient monasteries to the Nobel laureates W.B. Yeats and Seamus Heaney, from Jonathan Swift and Oliver Goldsmith to Eil-an Ní Chuilleanáin and Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, along with a profusion of lyrics, love poems, satires, ballads and songs. Reflecting Irelands complex past and lively present, this collection of Irish verse is an indispensable guide to the history, culture and romance of one of Europes oldest civilizations.- In his introduction to this new Penguin Classics edition, Patrick Crotty explores the traditions of poetry in Ireland, and relates the rich variety of the poems to the long and frequently troubled history of the island. Edited with an introduction by PATRICK CROTTYA magnificent anthology Independent Almost every page contains moments of sheer delight Tablet A real revelation . . . a vastly enjoyable store of delights and surprises Irish Catholic Gives us the full measure of this most influential of literary nations Daily Mail