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Patrick Kavanagh
Epic
Poem by Patrick Kavanagh
I have lived in important places, times
When great events were decided, who owned
That half a rood of rock, a no-man's land
Surrounded by our pitchfork-armed claims.
I heard the Duffys shouting "Damn your soul!"
And old McCabe stripped to the waist, seen
Step the plot defying blue cast-steel -
"Here is the march along these iron stones."
That was the year of the Munich bother. Which
Was more important? I inclined
To lose my faith in Ballyrush and Gortin
Till Homer's ghost came whispering to my mind.
He said: I made the Iliad from such
A local row. Gods make their own importance.
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Read poems about / on: faith, epic, lost
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such a beautiful poem........ fantastic 10++(Report)Reply
byeeei, luiki schooli(Report)Reply
An interesting sonnet with an interesting point—who decides what’s really important? A good reminder of the finite or myopic view we humans have of history and of everything. -GK(Report)Reply
nice poem....................(Report)Reply
Epics come from mundane happenings, 'I made the Iliad from such'(Report)Reply
Absolutely an Epic Poem after
Till Homer's ghost came whispering to my mind.....PK´s mind. WOW! True epic when Homer appears in one´s mind, hete the poet´s mind. Tremendously epically told. Thank you for sharing. A myriad of 10´s for this Classic Poem Of The Day. Congratulations to the great family of PK in the USA as well as in Dublin. GBU All. Amen(Report)Reply
Indeed as the poet says from the trivial things of life great truths are expressed by Epics by Homer and so on!(Report)Reply
qu ni ma ge bi gan ma bu gei wo jin qu a(Report)Reply
Indeed 'Gods do make their own importance'. This poem perfectly capures the microcosim whitin the macrocosim. After all we are all our own gods.
I knew the Duffy's. They damned my soul too.(Report)Reply
Yes, 'the Munich bother' indicates the farmers' attitude to world- shaking affairs compared to their own! But the poet's snap judgement is then tempered by his knowledge of the classics; these men can also be viewed as local gods, who 'make their own judgement.'
Mutual forgiveness of each vice
Such are the gates of paradise
(William Blake)
A fine poem that is also an exercise in tolerance.(Report)Reply
I agree with what you say....
this poem was written by P K. to explain how important it was to the people esp from a country area in old ireland, the importance of that small bit of land, and the row that mite take place between two neighbours over it. there might be a war going on in europe or whereever but the row over the small plot of land in monaghan had more significance than world war 2 to the people in that country area(Report)Reply