Louis MacNeice was introduced to me by my english teacher who used to live a few roads down from MacNeice when he was a child.
I just bought his collected poems and he is a magnificent poet. A friend of Auden and Cecil Day-Lewis he is some what forgotten outside literary circles and think it is such a shame. He should be just as well known as Auden and perhaps even Dylan Thomas I really think he is worthy of it. And it just makes me wonder why such brilliant poets are almost forgotten when some of there best friends are so widely read. He was featured on the BBC programme "A Poets Guide to Brittain" and it was fascinating. I wonder how many other peole know much about him or his poetry? Any thoughts?
Louis MacNeice
-
Arian
- Perspicacious Poster
- Posts: 2718
- Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 8:41 am
- antispam: no
- Location: Hertfordshire, UK
Patrick, this is a bit late, but I can't help but (for the record) add my voice. MacNiece is one of the best, in my view. I'm (ahem) 50 now (plus a bit), but the first poem tht ever reached me (I couldn't understand it, but I fell in love with its rhythm and assonances) was Prayer Before Birth, when I was, god, I don't know, 14 perhaps. Ever since, he's been one of my poetical heroes. As you say = brilliant but underrated.
We touched on MacNeice here and Prayer Before Birth (of which I'm not a fan) here. David's posted a couple of other MacNeice poems for discussion.
I've been rereading Autumn Journal recently - I think it's the third time I've read the whole thing - and am more impressed than ever. I can't think of a better poetic expression of a period or point in time. It's not uniformly brilliant - it sags a little dealing with LM's affairs of the heart - but it might be my favourite long poem. It's got this whirling, barreling, rollicking pace to it, like being on an old-fashioned train (a part of it is set on a train), and it's so full of action and noise.
He was a really talented poet. His use of rhyme is deft because it always seems effortless and ballsy because it's so unabashed. I find a lot of his stuff falters when it comes to making a personal impact, if that makes sense. A lot of the time it seems to lack heft. But not Autumn Journal.
I've been rereading Autumn Journal recently - I think it's the third time I've read the whole thing - and am more impressed than ever. I can't think of a better poetic expression of a period or point in time. It's not uniformly brilliant - it sags a little dealing with LM's affairs of the heart - but it might be my favourite long poem. It's got this whirling, barreling, rollicking pace to it, like being on an old-fashioned train (a part of it is set on a train), and it's so full of action and noise.
He was a really talented poet. His use of rhyme is deft because it always seems effortless and ballsy because it's so unabashed. I find a lot of his stuff falters when it comes to making a personal impact, if that makes sense. A lot of the time it seems to lack heft. But not Autumn Journal.
fine words butter no parsnips