Poems of the Troubles
Belfast poet Michael Longley talks with Olivia O'Leary about poems he has written about the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
Michael Longley is Northern Ireland's most eminent contemporary poet, described by Seamus Heaney as 'a keeper of the artistic estate, a custodian of griefs and wonders.' He has devoted a lifetime to the art of poetry and has won numerous poetry prizes.
In 1968, violence erupted in Northern Ireland, the beginning of 30 years of the Troubles. In the third episode of this series of The Essay, he talks about writing poems that remembered some of those who were victims of the violence and his most famous poem, Ceasefire, which looks to Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔr's great epic poem The Iliad as it reflects on the cost of peace.
As well as Ceasefire, he reads his poems The Troubles, The Ice-Cream Man, and All of these People from the collection Ash Keys: New Selected Poems (Cape Poetry), published to mark his 85th birthday on 27th July 2024.
Presenter: Olivia O'Leary
Producer: Claire Cunningham
Executive Producer: Regan Hutchins
Michael Longley's Life of Poetry is a Rockfinch production for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3.
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- Wed 10 Jul 2024 21:45Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3
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