Eyes of Youth A Book of Verse by Padraic Colum, Shane Leslie, Viola Meynell, Ruth Lindsay, Hugh Austin, Judith Lytton, Olivia Meynell, Maurice Healy, Monica Saleeby & Francis Meynell. With four early poems by Francis Thompson & a foreword by Gilbert K. Chesterton

This slim volume gathers a dozen fresh poetic voices, each offering a glimpse of the restless imagination that defined early twentieth‑century verse. Alongside the newly printed early poems of a once‑obscure poet, the collection includes works by emerging Irish, English and Scottish writers, all introduced by a brief, witty foreword that celebrates song over prose. The range is striking, moving from lyrical love songs and solemn prayers to sharp urban vignettes and daring mythic retellings.

The poems are deliberately concise, yet they aim for the grandeur of revelation, packing myth, longing, and everyday observation into just a few lines. Readers will hear the crisp humor of a city reporter, the solemn cadence of a religious meditation, and the haunting melancholy of a wandering soul. Together they create a chorus of youthful eyes that look outward and inward, inviting listeners to linger on each carefully chosen word.