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The Poetry of Francis Ledwidge
- Narrated by: Stephen Hogan, Kelly O'Doherty, Eve Karpf
- Length: 1 hr
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Summary
Francis Edward Ledwidge was born on 19th August, 1887, in the small village of Janeville in Slane, County Meath, in Ireland to parents that believed strongly in education.
At the age of 5 his father died and the entire family, already desperately poor, were forced into work and by 13 the young Ledwidge took whatever job was to hand—from farm hand to road labourer. Throughout this time he applied himself to his poetry writing whenever and wherever he could. His poems were published on a regular basis from the age of 14 in the Drogheda Independent, his local paper.
Ledwidge was an ardent Nationalist and was well known for his Sinn Fein and trade union activism. This association got him fired from his job at the Slane copper mines, for organising a strike for better working conditions, but prompted his appointment as the Secretary to the Slane branch of the Meath Labour Union.
As a poet Ledwidge found patronage from Lord Dunsany who was well known in literary circles and was offered regular funds if he did not fight in World War I.
Ledwidge was originally opposed to the War but then, seeing the greater injustice of an enslaved Europe, changed his view and enlisted and fought for Lord Dunsany's regiment, part of the 10th Irish Division.
He thrived in the army finding promotion, happy to be serving Ireland and continuing to write but on 31st July 1917, whilst road laying for the Battle of Ypres, a German artillery shell exploded and he was blown to pieces. He was 29.
Francis Ledwidge, the patriot and nationalist, has been called ‘The Soldier Poet’, ‘The Peasant Poet’ and the ‘Poet of the Blackbird’.
1 - The Poetry of Francis Ledwidge - An Introduction
2 - Ireland by Francis Ledwidge
3 - The Call to Ireland by Francis Ledwidge
4 - At Currabwee by Francis Ledwidge
5 - My Mother by Francis Ledwidge
6 - Nocturne by Francis Ledwidge
7 - The Sylph by Francis Ledwidge
8 - Evening in February by Francis Ledwidge
9 - Evening in England by Francis Ledwidge
10 - A Twilight in Middle March by Francis Ledwidge
11 - A Rainy Day in April by Francis Ledwidge
12 - Thoughts at the Trysting Stile by Francis Ledwidge
13 - Evening in May by Francis Ledwidge
14 - Autumn Evening in Serbia by Francis Ledwidge
15 - An Attempt at a City Sunset by Francis Ledwidge
16 - Behind the Closed Eye by Francis Ledwidge
17 - The Visitation of Peace by Francis Ledwidge
18 - To My Best Friend by Francis Ledwidge
19 - In the Dusk by Francis Ledwidge
20 - In a Cafe by Francis Ledwidge
21 - Lady Fair by Francis Ledwidge
22 - Low Moonland by Francis Ledwidge
23 - Old Clo by Francis Ledwidge
24 - The Maid in Low Moonland by Francis Ledwidge
25 - The Weddiing Morning by Francis Ledwidge
26 - To One Weeping by Francis Ledwidge
27 - Youth by Francis Ledwidge
28 - Had I a Golden Pound (After the Irish) by Francis Ledwidge
29 - The Lanawn Shee by Francis Ledwidge
30 - Fairies by Francis Ledwidge
31 - The Little Children by Francis Ledwidge
32 - A Fairy Hunt by Francis Ledwidge
33 - Pan by Francis Ledwidge
34 - The Find by Francis Ledwidge
35 - The Shadow People by Francis Ledwidge
36 - Bound to the Mast by Francis Ledwidge
37 - To One Who Comes Now and Then by Francis Ledwidge
38 - To an Old Quill of Lord Dunsany's by Francis Ledwidge
39 - Lament for the Poets, 1916 by Francis Ledwidge
40 - Waiting by Francis Ledwidge
41 - Lament for Thomas McDonagh by Francis Ledwidge
42 - The Dead Kings by Francis Ledwidge
43 - The Lost Ones by Francis Ledwidge
44 - An Old Pain by Francis Ledwidge
45 - Growing Old by Francis Ledwidge
46 - To One Dead by Francis Ledwidge
47 - Soliloquy by Francis Ledwidge
48 - A Soldier's Grave by Francis Ledwidge
49 - At a Poet's Grave by Francis Ledwidge