Austin Clarke (poet)

Did You Know?

• Clarke published three novels, all banned by the Censorship of Publications Board (Ireland): The Bright Temptation (1932), The Singing Men at Cashel (1936), and The Sun Dances at Easter (1952).
• He wrote two volumes of memoirs: Twice Round the Black Church (1962) and A Penny in the Clouds (1968).

Early career

Clarke's early poetry shows the influence of Yeats. His first book, The Vengeance of Fionn (1917), a long narrative poem retelling an Ossianic legend, was critically acclaimed and went to a second edition. Between that and Night and Morning (1938), he published several collections written in Yeats's shadow. As a Catholic, Clarke's early work explores themes of guilt and repentance.

Lyric Theatre years

For nearly two decades, from 1938 to 1955, Clarke did not release any new lyric or narrative poems. Instead, he helped start the Lyric Theatre Company in Dublin alongside Robert Farren, crafting verse plays for the group. This company grew out of his Dublin Verse Speaking Society, which sought to keep alive the verse drama tradition Yeats had established. The society first performed at the Peacock Theatre, moving to the Abbey Theatre in 1944, where it continued until a fire destroyed the Abbey in 1951. Clarke also earned a living as a journalist and hosted a weekly poetry show on RTÉ radio.

Return to poetry

Clarke resumed publishing poetry with Ancient Lights (1955) and wrote prolifically for the rest of his life. His late poetry, while still using Gaelic-derived techniques, differs markedly from his earlier work: it includes satires of the Irish church and state, and sensual celebrations of sexuality free of guilt. He published the personal poem sequence Mnemosyne Lay in Dust, about a fictional nervous breakdown. He came to admire Ezra Pound and Pablo Neruda, and his later long poems, such as Tiresias (1971), show looser formal structures. He founded the Bridge Press to publish his own work, bypassing mainstream publishers. His Collected Poems appeared in 1974 and Selected Poems in 1976.

Family

Clarke married Cornelia (Lia) Cummins in 1920; the marriage effectively lasted only a few days, and he spent months in St Patrick's Hospital recovering, but they did not divorce before her death in 1943. He met Norah Esmerelda Patricia Walker, granddaughter of MP Matt Harris, had three sons with her, and married her in 1945. He lived at Bridge House beside Templeogue Bridge in Dublin. After his death, a proposal to preserve the house and his library of 6,500 books failed due to road-widening plans. The old bridge and house were removed; a new bridge, opened in 1984, was named Austin Clarke Bridge.