Ideas of Good and Evil

A lively series of essays, this collection follows a poet‑critic as he wrestles with what makes poetry truly “good” and how moral concerns shape artistic choices. From the restless energy of Irish ballads to the luminous symbolism of Blake and Shelley, each piece maps a terrain where folklore, politics and personal taste intersect. The author’s reflections on “popular poetry” reveal a yearning for a national voice that sings in its own colour rather than echoing English models.

The prose is part memoir, part scholarly survey, weaving anecdotes about Dublin societies, turf‑fire evenings in Connaught and the stubborn allure of Celtic myth. Readers hear a passionate argument for art that mirrors the landscape of its creator, while probing the broader links between imagination, belief and everyday life. The essays offer a window onto early twentieth‑century literary thought, inviting listeners to consider how cultural identity and moral imagination can reshape the very shape of verse.