Sean Riordain
Selected Poems
Yale
translated from the Gaelic by Frank Sewell
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"In the mid-twentieth century, a new
generation of poets writing in Irish emerged, led by the young Seán Ó
Ríordáin, among others. Ó Ríordáin’s work has stood the test of time
well, and he continues to engage today’s Irish readers and writers. This
well-rounded selection of poems brings most of Ó Ríordáin’s works to
English-language readers for the first time. The poems appear in their
original Irish alongside English translations by some of Ireland's
leading poets. Also included for the first time in English is Ó
Ríordáin’s essay What Is Poetry?, considered an extraordinary touchstone of critical insight for poets and literary commentators. The
volume reflects Ó Ríordáin’s seven main concerns: poetry and its place
in the artist’s life; the plural self; the relationship between the
individual and society; gender relations; the nature of animals;
Ireland, its language and culture; and mortality."
