Painting Rain

by Paula Meehan

A career-spanning selection of Thomas Kinsella's essays and reviews, this remarkable compendium makes available for the first time key works in modern Irish literature such as the poet’s discussions of the Gaelic tradition. Alongside writings on such figures as W. B. Yeats, Ezra Pound, Austin Clarke, Louis le Brocquy, and Séan Ó Riada, this comprehensive reference extends understanding of Kinsella's work by including his reflections on his own poetry. In addition, Kinsella evaluates the works of fellow writers such as W. H. Auden, Donald Davie, William Empson, Robert Graves, and Marianne Moore. A previously unpublished address given by Kinsella at the University of Turin is also included.

Genres: Poetry, Irish Literature, Ireland

360 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

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

[Ella]

Girl made me nearly cry on the train to Kilkenny.

[Michael]

I’m very glad I read this. The author’s poems deal with trauma and grieving and particularly in her context of growing up in a low-income section of Dublin (and in a low-income household herself). The poems are powerful and moving and true. I loved them. The images are strong and so is her passion.

[Julia Wellham]

Favorite poems:

- Troika
- Prayer Before Starting
- The Book of Changes
- Prayer for the Children of Longing
- Snowdrops
- The Following Message Will Be Deleted From Your Mailbox
- She Didn’t Know She Was Dying But The Poems Did
- Tanka
- Death of a Field

[Kristiana]

Absolutely stunning

[lehnachos ✨]

New fav poem dropped

[Doralee Brooks]

There are several long poems and series poems in this collection that are almost novelistic in scope. The poems are varied in length and form, but the long poems predominate and give the book a substance and weight that I am not finding often in contemporary poems. There's a lot to think about in this book and to return to.

[Alec Mcallister]

A stunning collection. Meehan is one of our greatest poets. “A prayer for the children of longing” is a magnificent poem. I think of it every Christmas when I pass the tree in Buckingham Street. So much skill as a writer and so much insight and compassion as a human being. Great humour and self deprecation also in some of the other poems. We are blessed to have her.

[Anna Snader]

“he that’s not busy being born is busy dying” (28).

[Lina]

So beautiful, so deep, so Irish. This collection brings together some of Paula Meehan’s finest poems.