Book of Irish Poetry, part I

This is the first volume of a sweeping anthology that gathered Ireland's poetic heritage at a moment when the nation was rediscovering its voice. Alfred Perceval Graves, poet and folklorist, assembled verses spanning centuries of Irish tradition, works born in the Irish language alongside their English translations, poems of love and loss, of land and legend, of the ancient world and the struggling present. Here you will find the bardic tradition preserved, the great themes of Irish poetry rendered for new readers who might otherwise never encounter them. The collection captures a culture remembering itself, reaching back to the wellsprings of its own language even as it spoke to the wider world. Whether you come seeking the haunting beauty of the language, the rich folklore threaded through these verses, or the emotional truth that has made Irish poetry resonate across centuries, this volume offers a door into a tradition that shaped modern literature. Part I begins the journey into a treasury that has been moving readers since its initial appearance.