A Book of Irish Verse Selected from modern writers, with an introduction and notes by W. B. Yeats

A curated anthology of Irish poetry brings together the voices that shaped a nation’s literary spirit from the eighteenth through the nineteenth centuries. The collection opens with Yeats’s thoughtful introduction, setting the stage for a journey through love, loss, rebellion, and myth. Each poem is accompanied by concise notes that illuminate historical context and linguistic nuance, inviting listeners to hear the verses as both art and cultural record.

From Goldsmith’s gentle reflections on village life to Thomas Moore’s haunting night‑time musings, the selections capture the play of light and shadow that defines Irish verse. The array includes stirring laments by James Clarence Mangan, lyrical ballads by Samuel Lover, and the soulful Gaelic songs of Edward Walsh. Together they reveal a tapestry of rural landscapes, heroic legends, and the everyday struggles of a people.

Listening to this anthology feels like wandering the rolling hills and ancient ruins of Ireland itself, guided by Yeats’s insights and the resonant echoes of poets who celebrated, mourned, and questioned their world with timeless grace.