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Francis Ledwidge [1887-1917] IRL
Ranked #341 in the top 380 poets

Poet of the blackbirds", he was killed in action at the Battle of Passchendaele during World War I.

Francis Ledwidge, the Irish nationalist and poet, was born in Slane on 19 August 1887 the son of a poor labourer.  Leaving school at the age of 14 he worked in various manual labour positions while developing a love for and honing his own poetical talents.  It was in 1911 that Ledwidge first received notable recognition for his poetry.  Having sent a collection of his poems to well-known author Lord Dunsany he received a favourable response, Dunsany assuming the role of mentor to Ledwidge, introducing him to the Dublin literary scene.  Although possessing moderate Irish nationalist views Ledwidge nevertheless signed up with the British Army - the Irish Volunteers in Octob

One year after war began, in 1915, and while serving abroad on active duty Ledwidge saw an initial volume of fifty of his poems published as Songs of the Field.  He was much gratified by the favourable press coverage the book received. While recovering wounded in Manchester in 1916 he received news of the Easter Rising in Dublin and the executions of nationalist leaders that followed it.  Dejected, in response he wrote his best-known poem in honour of the executed nationalist leader and a close friend, Thomas McDonagh. Despite having survived harsh service in Gallipoli and Serbia, Ledwidge was killed while serving in Flanders, at Boezinge, on 31 July 1917 during the Third Battle of Ypres.  He was aged 29, and was buried in Passchendaele. Despite the renown of his war poetry, of the two hundred plus poems that he wrote only nine actually discussed the Great War to any extent.

YearsCountryPoetInteraction
1859-1931
IRL
Katharine Tynan
← friend of Francis Ledwidge


WorkLangRating
Soliloquy
eng
5
A Little Boy in the Morning
eng
1
Lament for the Poets: 1916
eng
1
My Mother
eng
1
A Fairy Hunt
eng
0
A Mother`s Song
eng
0
A Rainy Day in April
eng
0
A Soldier`s Grave
eng
0
After Court Martial
eng
0
Ardan Mór
eng
0
At A Poet`s Grave
eng
0
At Currabwee
eng
0
Autumn
eng
0
Behind the Closed Eye
eng
0
Ceol Sidhe
eng
0
Dawn
eng
0
Fairies
eng
0
Had I A Golden Pound (After The Irish)
eng
0
In A Cafe
eng
0
In France
eng
0
Ireland
eng
0
Lady Fair
eng
0
Old Clo`
eng
0
Pan
eng
0
Spring
eng
0
Spring and Autumn
eng
0
Spring Love
eng
0
The Dead Kings
eng
0
The Find
eng
0
The Lanawn Shee
eng
0
The Little Children
eng
0
The Lost Ones
eng
0
The Rushes
eng
0
The Shadow People
eng
0
The Sylph
eng
0
The Wife of Llew
eng
0
Thomas McDonagh
eng
0
To A Sparrow
eng
0
To An Old Quill Of Lord Dunsany`s
eng
0
To One Dead
eng
0
To One Who Comes Now And Then
eng
0
Two Songs
eng
0
Una Bawn
eng
0
With Flowers
eng
0
Youth
eng
0

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