(Frustration and Optimism in Selected Poems by Patrick Kavanagh (1904-1967

Abstract

Patrick Kavanagh (1904 - 1967) is one of the outstanding Irish poets of the 20th century. His unique portrayal oflrish rural life makes his impact on modern Irish poetry very powerful. Kavanagh's personal life­ experience together with the actualities of the life of the poor country people among whom he was born and grew up provided him with material for his poetry.

The present study attempts to trace the themes of frustration and optimism in Patrick Kavanagh's poetry. The study is divided into four chapters and a conclusion. Chapter One examines Patrick Kavanagh's • I literary career and his life-experience which left an impact on his mind and art. For example, it deals with the poet's life in the village of • Inniskeen, his family, his education, his work as a farmer and as a shoemaker, his early poems, his migration to Dublin and the troubles he faced in the city. It also explores the literary scene in Ireland from the

1900s to the 1960s.It shows the most significant literary events which prevailed at that period and refers to the leading writers of that time. Another concern of this chapter will be the impact of that literary atmosphere on Patrick Kavanagh's poetic production.

Chapter Two clarifies the theme of frustration m Patrick Kavanagh's poetry. Various forms of frustration are tackled. Many of Kavanagh's poems, for instance, reflect emotional, sexual, religious, intellectual, physical, psychological, social and poetic frustration. For Patrick Kavanagh, two places were significant in his life and work: County Monaghan where he was born and Dublin to which he migrated in 1939.