Desmond Egan : Universal Midlander

Résumé En Fr

Egan's range — both in subject-matter and emotionally — is wide and he has developed a technique which perfectly complements it. He has refined that poetic fluidity of expression and that breadth of reference over a career which began with the publication in 1972 of Midland and which has continued through seven subsequent books of poetry to date. Egan's earlier poetry exhibits a strong sense of place, a feeling for the landscape of the Irish midlands where he grew-up. His lyricism gradually acquired a cutting, contemporary edge and his poetry became more directly engagé after Siege ! was published in 1976. Egan is very much a modernist in the Pound/William Carlos Williams tradition - though the example of modern American (and indeed European) writing is one which he has assimilated and integrated well into his own unique voice. His readiness to experiment with new forms, to invent new techniques, may partly derive from his interest in modern painting and music ; it certainly gives him a special place among Irish poets.

A ses débuts, Desmond Egan a manifesté un sens approfondi du lieu, du paysage de son Irlande natale, les Midlands. Progressivement, son lyrisme adopte un ton très contemporain et il crée une poésie plutôt engagée après Siege ! (publié en 1976). Egan est un poète moderne dans la tradition de Pound/William Carlos Williams - mais il a parfaitement intégré le modèle américain (et bien entendu, européen) dans son propre style, et il se révèle prêt à rechercher de nouvelles formes poétiques, à inventer de nouvelles techniques. Un poète important ; un grand poète.