James Stephens, born on 2 February 1882 and dead on 26 December 1950, occupies an unusual and still slightly elusive place in Irish literature. He was a poet, novelist, storyteller, essayist, translator, broadcaster, and tireless performer of his own work; he belonged to the generation of the Irish Literary Revival, yet he never fitted comfortably into the movement’s principal categories. He was not, like W. B. Yeats…
“The imagination is the one thing besides honesty that a human being should have.”
Neighbourhood:
Georgian Poets, Irish Poets, Mystical & Spiritual Poets, Nature Poets
Emotional landscape: Longing, Wonder, Peace
In the pantheon of Irish literary figures who shaped the cultural renaissance of the early twentieth century, Joseph Campbell occupies a unique position as both a guardian of ancient Gaelic traditions and a modernizing force in Irish poetry. Born on July 15, 1879, in Belfast, and dying on June 6, 1944, Campbell lived through one of the most tumultuous and transformative periods in Irish history. His life spanned the…
“Remoteness grips me, and is become a reality in this ultimate mearing of a grey, ultimate land.”
Neighbourhood:
Folk & Ballad Poets, Georgian Poets, Irish Poets, Nature Poets
Emotional landscape: Sorrow, Spirituality, Wonder