Northern Irish Poetry and Domestic Space - by Adam Hanna (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Northern Irish Poetry and Domestic Space explores why houses, in some ways the most private of spaces, have taken up such visibly public positions in the work of a range of poets from Northern Ireland: Seamus Heaney, Michael Longley, Derek Mahon and Medbh McGuckian. It reveals the ways in which poetry set in and around houses has reflected the intimate, pervasive nature of Northern Ireland's territorial politic, but it also argues that the public side of these spaces only constitutes one part of their story. The attributes of houses that are frequently brought to the fore by poets are their privacy and containment, as if they are braced against the currents of public events. In this way, houses have affinities with lyric poetry: both offer a personal space for private expression, and both can provide a position from which to engage with the world. "--

Book Synopsis

Northern Irish Poetry and Domestic Space explores why houses, in some ways the most private of spaces, have taken up such visibly public positions in the work of a range of prominent poets from Northern Ireland, examining the work of Seamus Heaney, Michael Longley, Derek Mahon and Medbh McGuckian.

Review Quotes

"His study is not only insightful and persuasive, but also very timely." (Stephen Grace, Irish Studies Review, Vol. 28 (2), March, 2020)

"The virtue of his writing is its understated, perfectly tuned affinity with the poets about whom he writes. ... Hanna's description of the tension between the intimacy of the lyric and the public demands on the work highlights the major achievement of this volume: it is a book that in its consideration of domestic space ultimately meditates on the private and public stability of lyric poetry and its vital importance in times of trouble." (Kelly E. Sullivan, Dublin Review of Books, drb.ie, January, 2017)

"Northern Irish Poetry and Domestic Space engages with the different ways in which houses occupy a prominent position in the writing of a range of well-known poets from Northern Ireland. ... Northern Irish Poetry and Domestic Space is an illuminating andmultifaceted study. It makes a valuable contribution to the field of Irish Studies as the diversity of the themes tackled demonstrates the author's profound knowledge of Northern Irish poetry." (Stephanie Schwerter, Irish Review, Issue 53, 2016)

"This is a beautifully written volume, rooted in detailed close readings and expertly engaged with the particulars of Northern Irish culture and politics. ... Hanna's work on domestic space makes a significant contribution to the criticism--a contribution that will interest any reader of contemporary Irish poetry." (Julia C. Obert, New Hibernia Review, Vol. 20 (3), 2016)

About the Author

Adam Hanna is an IRC Postdoctoral Research Fellow at University College Cork, Ireland. He has previously taught in the English departments of the University of Bristol and the University of Aberdeen.