The Man Who Was Marked by Winter

by Paula Meehan

In language as brightly and carefully crafted as the sewing the mother aspires to teach her daughter in "The Pattern," Paula Meehan fashions complex images of place and displacement, of joyous moments of discovery trimmed with bitterness, of tragedy inevitable as nightfall, and the repose that accompanies acceptance of loss. A few are hard to read, they are so griefladen; yet they leave us with a sense of release into a deeper understanding of the human heart. Playful lovers, lovers' cruelties, the divertissements of the sexual revolution - her treatment of these subjects in direct, lighthearted, courageous terms has earned her a vivid reputation as a speaker of truths that all women, and honest men, recognize and respond to.

Genres: Poetry

64 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1991

About the author

Meehan studied at University College, Dublin and Eastern Washington University in Spokane, Washington.

She has been awarded The Martin Toonder Award (1995), The Butler Literary Award (1998), and the Denis Devlin Award (2002) for her work.

Reviews

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

More from Meehan, whose poetry I absolutely love.
All the usual thins abound, with her signature ability to ground her imagery in the down-to-earth reality of life in Ireland. The poems are snapshots, glimpses of a world that was old before I was even born, although I still feel its resonances around me.

[maisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty interesting collection of poetry. Paula Meehan’s style of poetry fits what I’m into it typically and this is why the collection immediately felt comforting. Some of my favorites from the collection are “The Dark Twin”, “Reading the Sky”, “The Pattern”, and “Home by Starlight”.

[Punk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Observational poetry in simple language with a hint of magic and a pleasing rhythm. The subject matter didn't always engage me, but I found several poems I enjoyed: "Buying Winkles," "Child Burial," "The Statue of the Virgin at Granard Speaks," "Fruit," "Before the Pubs Close," "Hermit," and my very favorite from this volume, "My Love About His Business in the Barn."

[Mills College Library]

821.914 M4944m 1991