Confronting Shadows: An Introduction to the Poetry of Thomas Kinsella

Thomas Kinsella’s poetry is amongst the most challenging, but also the most rewarding. In this exciting new introduction, David Lynch investigates the themes that underlie Kinsella’s work, uncovering motifs of Irish history, political struggle, love, death, war, God and the fractured psyche. Engaging with the connections and rhythms that resonate throughout Kinsella’s poetry, and drawing on the work of philosophers and psychologists, Lynch reveals the ways in which Kinsella’s work is a response to the ordeal of modern life. Providing a detailed reading of poems from different eras, Confronting Shadows is an entrance for students and other readers into the work of one of the leading Irish poets of the modern era.