Irish Verse: An Anthology

by Bob Blaisdell (Editor)

Works by more than 60 Irish poets, from 18th century to modern times, include "Stella's Birthday" by Swift; Goldsmith's "Stanzas on Woman"; "The Harp that Once Through Tara's Halls" by Moore; Yeats's "To the Rose upon the Rood of Time"; "Strings in the Earth and Air" by Joyce; plus verses by lesser-known poets.

Genres: Poetry, Ireland

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Bob Blaisdell is a published adapter, author, editor, and an illustrator of children's books and young adult books. He teaches English in Brooklyn at Kingsborough Community College. He is a reviewer for the San Francisco Chronicle and Christian Science Monitor and the editor of more than three dozen anthologies for Dover Publications. Email him at Robert.Blaisdell@Kingsborough.edu

Reviews

[LKay]

In contrast to the previous poetry anthology I read, this was much easier and enjoyable to digest. I appreciated the introduction as well as the short lines describing each poem. Overall, these poems were very lyrical and beautiful. I especially enjoyed the works of the female poets that were collected in this book!

Some favorites:
The Student and His Cat
The Deserted Home
Dirge on the Death of Art O’Leary
O Donall Oge: Grief of a Young Girl

[James]

Well, this was a charming little book, and a genuine treat to read; I was held in rapt fascination as I read delightful poems of young love and young couples who left beloved Erin for America, but ever-maintaining a fierce love and longing for their homeland.

This would have received five stars, if it had excluded a few of the selections whose benefit, frankly, is likened unto a five-ton antique elephant carven of ivory and gilt in gold-- It is kept because it is an antique, and valuable, but no one has sentimental attachment to it. I would never say that those pieces written in dialect are without value, but och! for my own personal uses, they were with only marginal benefit.

[Dave Maddock]

In hindsight, the entire book seemed like a build up to W.B. Yeats, who was by far my favorite. I am glad I read this in little chunks over a few months. I expect the repetitive subject matter would become grating in large doses. The recurring themes of communion with nature, resisting oppression, and longing for a lost homeland (both physical and political) permeate these poems. But, a page or two a day reads like a quiet walk on a dewy, spring morning. I expect to revisit this anthology from time to time to recapture that Irish ambiance I loved so much when I was there.

[Michael]

This was a very enjoyable collection of Irish verse. It felt almost like listening to The Irish Rovers - all the same notes, the sorrow of migration, the cheeky street ballads, the songs of protest to English rule.