Sir, – Whatever the rights or wrongs of it, the volley fired from Prof Kevin Kiely's recent review (in Books Ireland) of President Higgins's latest collection of poems at least sounds a deep and honest appraisal of contemporary Irish poetry (Loose Leaves, Weekend Review, February 11th).
Over the past 15 years or so it has lost its way and become irrelevant. During that time no great poem, collection or poet has emerged despite the country undergoing significant social, political and economic turmoil.
Poets chose instead to blunt their nibs, unashamedly, writing gushing blurbs for the back of each other’s latest collection. Reassuring us (in case we didn’t know or couldn’t make up our own minds) how important the poet was. As a result, Irish poetry has become limp, safe; its poets tame and their voices far too similar. The shoulders of Kavanagh, Heaney and Hartnett have long since buckled under the weight of them all and if Irish poetry is to mean anything any more, poets need to take sides and engage in a civil war with themselves. For poetry’s sake if not for their own. – Yours, etc,