[971] Raglan Road
Guest poem sent in by aravind <v_aravind@>
On Raglan Road on an autumn day I met her first and knew
That her dark hair would weave a snare that I might one day rue;
I saw the danger, yet I walked along the enchanted way,
And I said, let grief be a fallen leaf at the dawning of the day.
On Grafton Street in November we tripped lightly along the ledge
Of the deep ravine where can be seen the worth of passion's pledge,
The Queen of Hearts still making tarts and I not making hay -
O I loved too much and by such and such is happiness thrown away.
I gave her gifts of the mind I gave her the secret sign that's known
To the artists who have known the true gods of sound and stone
And word and tint. I did not stint for I gave her poems to say.
With her own name there and her own dark hair like clouds over fields of May
On a quiet street where old ghosts meet I see her walking now
Away from me so hurriedly my reason must allow
That I had wooed not as I should a creature made of clay -
When the angel woos the clay he'd lose his wings at the dawn of day.
-- Patrick Kavanagh
|
I first came across this poem while I was looking up the lyrics for some Mark
Knopfler songs... yeah, he has put this poem to music, and it is one of my
favorites. I have just one word to describe it... haunting... anyways, I was
surprised to find that it wasn't an original Knopfler song, but a poem by
some guy called Kavanagh... I loved the lyrics, so I decided to dig deeper
into his works... I'm not much of a critic, so I'm not going to try to be
one... I just love the poem, and I love the song even more... and I was
surprised to find that Kavanagh didn't have a single entry in the minstrels
list, so I decided to send this poem to the group. I'm also including some
links for more information on the poet.
About the poet:
Patrick Kavanagh was born at Mucker, Inniskeen, Co. Monaghan in 1904,
where his father was a small farmer and cobbler.
He left school at thirteen to plough 'The Stoney Grey Soil of
Monaghan' and also sit alongside his father at the cobbler's bench.
Thought a fool by the villagers for his belief that he would become a
great poet, and scorned by the local farming community as a bad
farmer, Kavanagh left to pursue his poetical leanings in Dublin.
Befriended by A. E. (George Russell), he soon began to establish a
reputation for himself around Dublin's literary pubs, not only for
his writing abilities, but also for his conceit, his rudeness, his
colourful language, his caustic tongue and his drinking habits.
The breakthrough he had hoped for came in 1936 with the publication
in London of the autobiographical 'Tarry Flynn'.
Patrick Kavanagh died in Dublin on 30th November 1967, bringing to a
close the life of one of Ireland's most controversial and colourful
literary figures. It is somehow ironic that while his lifestyle and poetry
are virtually the alter image of Yeats, both men are today widely regarded
at the most influential of Ireland's twentieth century poets.
Links:
http://www.harbour.sfu.ca/~hayward/van/glossary/kavanagh.html
http://www.irishlinks.co.uk/pkavanagh.htm
http://dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Humanities/Literature/Authors/Poets/Kavanagh__Patrick__1904_1967_/
~Aravind V
From: "Frank O'Shea" <foshea@>
Patrick Kavanagh (1904-67)
Great to find Kavanagh included at last. I will put up another of his poems
some time. Raglan Road is said to have been inspired by a lady named Hilda
O'Malley who later married a politician who became Ireland's most famous
and influential Minister for Education.
Yeats was the great Irish poet of the first third of the 20th century,
Heany the leader in the last third and Kavanagh the master in the middle
third. Heaney's poetry is greatly influenced by Kavanagh. He finished
school at 13; never even heard of Joyce or Yeats until his twenties.
When he moved to Dublin in 1939 to work as a freelance writer, it was a
time when rural Ireland was seen as the romantic, Celtic existence
presented by writers like Yeats and Synge and earnestly encouraged by the
Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of the day Eamon de Valera. People were
spiritual, close to nature - simple, wise old men; `fair youths and comely
maidens.' Kavanagh presented a different picture; there was affection for
his birthplace, but a more realistic portrayal of the hardship of trying to
live off a few wet and stony acres.
During the War he was courted unsuccessfully by John Betjeman (at that time
based in the British Embassy in Dublin) in an attempt to get him to write
how harshly Catholics in Poland were being treated by the Nazis.
Although part of the literary scene, he fell out with most of the other
writers. He deliberately turned away from the idea of a poet as a
chronicler of national or ethnic issues to focus instead on local, parish
matters, with particular reference to the Catholic nature of the local
people. In one of his poems he speaks of two farmers guarding their stony
acres with pitchforks:
That was the year of the Munich bother. Which
Was more important? I inclined
To lose my faith in Ballyrush and Gortin
Till Homer's ghost came whispering to my mind.
He said: I made the Illiad from such
A local row. Gods make their own importance.
Although he was deeply Catholic he was not strictly a Catholic writer in
the sense that say, Joyce Kilmer or Hilaire Belloc or Gerard Manly Hopkins
were, who tended to use the icons and teachings of Catholicism in their
writings. Later in his life, his poetry tended to be more personal and he
was happy to cultivate the persona of an unkempt and prickly
ploughman-poet, feared by other writers but loved by women and children.
Kavanagh was involved in two disastrous court cases. In the first, his
publisher was fined =A3100 in a libel brought by Oliver St John Gogarty
(`Buck Mulligan') as a result of something which Kavanagh wrote. In the
second, he took a publisher to court for an article which he said libelled
him. He lost this too, blaming Brendan Behan for his troubles. The
prosecuting counsel was John A Costello, later Taoiseach and a silent
benefactor.
Had a lung removed for cancer towards the end of his life, but recovered
well and afterwards wrote some happier poetry. A few months before his
death, he married Kathleen Maloney whom he had known for some time.
His monument is a seat beside the Grand Canal, not far from the Australian
Embassy in Dublin.
`O commemorate me with no hero-courageous
Tomb - a canal bank seat for the passer-by.'
The seat is from an oak tree cut down in Meath more than 100 years earlier;
the stone uprights are of granite from the Dublin mountains; the seat is
surrounded by slate slabs from the Burren in Co Clare.
There was and still is dispute about his burial place and tombstone.
His two long poems "The Great Hunger" and "Lough Derg" are works of genuine
greatness.
Frank O'Shea
From: Simon Kidd <simonk@>
It's may be slightly misleading to say that Knopfler put the poem to music.
It had been put to music before and I have a version performed by The
Dubliners. I haven't heard Knopfler's rendition (much as I'd like to, as I'm
a fan of his), so I don't know if it's the same music.
From: Simon Kidd <simonk@>
There's more on the music at
http://www.chivalry.com/cantaria/lyrics/raglan-road.html
From: "Mary Margaret O'Hara" <mmmohara@>
I am curious about the relationship of the Poem Raglan
Road to the Mythological story of Pygmalion and
Galatea. I see a connection between the two stories
and I'm interested in discussing this with someone who
might no more about it. Please respond if you can or
pass this along if you know someone who knows. Thank
you.
MaryMargaret
mmmohara@
From: "Emmet Moorehouse" <emoorehouse@>
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From: "Keith Hackwell" <keith.hackwell@>
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Luke Kelly of the Dubliners sang this poem to a traditional tune (Dawning of
the Day) - I assumed it was written to suit the rhythm and cadence of the
folk song. Surprised to learn of Kavanaghs background as the essence of
the
poem seems to be of an highly educated aesthete not up to giving his love
physical expression ( or satisfaction).=0D
I will have to find out more about him.=0D
=0D
Great poem tho hard to read without hearing Luke's voice and marvellous
musical arrangement.=0D
=0D
=0D
=0D
Keith Hackwell
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<DIV>Luke Kelly of the Dubliners sang this poem to a traditional tune (Dawning of the Day) - I assumed it was written to suit the rhythm and cadence of the folk song. Surprised to learn of Kavanaghs background as the essence of the poem seems to be of an highly educated aesthete not up to giving his love physical expression ( or satisfaction).</DIV>
<DIV>I will have to find out more about him.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Great poem tho hard to read without hearing Luke's voice and marvellous musical arrangement.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><EM>Keith Hackwell</EM></DIV></TD></TR>
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From: "thekingsvenue" <thekingsvenue@>
Luke Kelly's rendition is definitely the definitive version of this song
From: James.Carney@ Thu Jun 19 10:22:38 2003
Just stumbled across this trying to find the words to Raglin Road. If
you want to hear the definitive version set to music, forget Messers
Kelly and Knopfler and listen to Van Morrison's rendition on the album
he recorded with The Chieftains -guaranteed to make the hairs stand up
on the back of your neck!
James Carney
visitscotland.com
Fairways Business Park
Deer Park Road
Livingston
EH54 8AF
Scotland
t:
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e: James.Carney@
Web: www.visitscotland.com
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From: "Gavin McGahan" <gavmcgah@>
Patrick Kavanagh met Luke Kelly of the Dubliners in a pub one night.
(Both liked a drink) Neither had a liking for each other but had a
mutual respect for each others talents. Kavanagh told Kelly he had a
song for him. Kelly wasn't all that interested. Eventually Kelly took
the lyrics off Kavanagh after being told by him to sing it to the air of
the song The Dawning of the Day. Kelly left it alone for some time
before rediscovereing the lyrics some time later. When Kelly started
singing it with that air he realised that those lyrics were more suited
than the original. Luke Kellys version is the original and definitive.
Raglan Road is now widely regarded as Luke Kellys signature tune. Most
people rarely remember that it was Kavanaghs who wrote the lyrics.
People who speak of Knofpler and Van Morrison having the best version
haven't heard Luke Kellys version. Don't scorn that comment until you go
away and find Kellys version.
From: Tim.O'Connell@
Patrick Kavanagh wrote Raglan Road as a poem and asked the author Benedict
Kiely if it could be sung to the tune, Fainne Geal an Lae (Dawning of the
Day). With Benedict Kiely's help, Kavanagh himself worked the poem to the
air of Dawning of the Day.
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From: PADDY4514@
In rellation to a note on Kavanagh on some site I read
Hilda O'Malley's husband Donogh seems to have been a remakable man where can
I get more info on this guy?
There does not seem to be any biography on him and from where I am sitting
he seems to have conceived the Tiger in the 60's Is he a forgotten Irishman?
Many Thanks
Patrick Trent Catling
From: Rich Wilson <rdw30296@>
'Raglan Road' sung by Amy White and accompanied by Al
Petteway on their 2004 CD "Golden Wing" (Maggie's
Music) has my vote for the most enchanting version of
Patrick Kavanagh's lyrics.
__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new Resources site
http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/resources/
From: "Kristofer Moore" <attheroxy@>
Just responding to Raglan road. I think that it is strange how dynamic
this poem is. I was never aware that the author was known. Everytime I
have heard it performed by a major artist they list the writer as
"Traditional". I think that Peter Rowan does a great bluegrass version
of this on "Wall of Time" album. That was the first time I heard the
song, when I was about 8 years old. I'm 31 now and have heard the song
performed by local Irish bands that we heckle until they do it, Van
Morrison, The Dubliners, etc. A lot like moonshiner in that many people
have performed this and respect the beauty of the words but they put
their own twist on it. I also agree with Mary, who said that this was
based on Pygmilion. No doubt about that, If the author based it on Hilda
O'Malley he was still relating her somehow to the pygmilion.
Kristofer Moore
From: Alan Purslow <Alan.Purslow@>
Luke Kelly is to me the only singer who can reach the heart of this
poem/song. I remember his performing it with the Dubliners on St
Patrick's Day on BBC Radio 2 in the early seventies. The show was hosted
by Jimmy Ellis (Z Cars) and also featured The Johnstons. I recorded the
show on a reel to reel recorder but, sadly, the tapes were later lost in
various house moves. I met Jimmy Ellis in a pub in Holywood, Co. Down a
few years ago and he remembered the show too. Ah, Luke, if only you were
alive for us to tell you how moved we can still be by your voice.
Alan Purslow
Stokenchurch
Buckinghamshire
From: "Colin Finnie" <colin.finnie@>
RAGLAN ROAD by Patrick Kavanagh
What's it about? Maybe poems should be left to speak for themselves,
but Raglan Road is truly problematical. The speaker is an angel, and
angels are always masculine. The object of his affection is mortal, and
there is a superstition that angels lose their wings if they stoop to
anything as vulgar as human emotion. A similar superstition informs
Kipling's Dedication from Barrack-Room Ballads in which those who 'sit
at wine with the maidens nine' have been
"purged of pride ... cleansed of base desire, sorrow and lust and shame
...
Gods who knew the hearts of men, men for they stooped to Fame"
In Kavanagh's poem, angel and mortal walk the ledge above the chasm of
mutual promise. The angel gives her his spiritual and intellectual
gifts but cannot bring himself to make the ultimate human commitment.
As a result, he loses her.
The angel's dilemma may seem fanciful, but bear in mind Kavanagh's
Catholic upbringing. In that context, the angel's agony of doubt is
guilt-induced. The poet's voice is then the voice of one whose
expression of emotion has been inhibited by an over-sensitive
conscience.
And there it is - just one of the layers of meaning in this marvellous
poem.
Colin Finnie