Carcanet Press - The Lost Land

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Beautiful land the patriot said
and rinsed it with his blood. And the sun rose.
And the river burned. The earth leaned
towards him: Shadows grew long. Ran red.

Beautiful land I whispered. But the roads
stayed put. Stars froze over the suburb.
Shadows iced up. Nothing moved.
Except my hand across the page. And these words.

'Whose?'

Eavan Boland's new book, her first since the Collected Poems, is in two parts. The opening sequence entitled 'Colony' explores the theme of Irish language and culture. This is followed by a collection of individual poems which open out from autobiography into a sense of larger belonging. 'The Lost Land' of the title, the poet says, is
'not exactly a country and not entirely a state of mind ... the lost land is not a place that can be subdivided into history, or love, or memory. It is the poet's own, single, and private account of the ghostly territory where so much human experience comes to be
stored.'

'Boland has emerged as one of the best poets in Ireland.'

Denis Donoghue NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS

Born in Dublin in 1944, Eavan Boland studied in Ireland, London and New York. Her first book was published in 1967. She has taught at Trinity College, University College and Bowdoin College Dublin, and at the University of Iowa. She is currently Mabury Knapp Professor in the Humanities at Stanford University, ... read more

Praise for Eavan Boland Eavan Boland's A Journey with Two Maps: Becoming a Woman Poet contains essays both personal and public written in a tone urgent and wise, with astute observations on her own trajectory as a poet and the work of Elizabeth Bishop, Sylvia Plath and Paula Meehan, among others. - Colm Toibin, The Irish Times, Our Favourite Books of 2011
Eavan Boland's A Journey with Two Maps: Becoming a Woman Poet contains essays both personal and public written in a tone urgent and wise, with astute observations on her own trajectory as a poet and the work of Elizabeth Bishop, Sylvia Plath and Paula Meehan, among others. - Colm Toibin, The Irish Times, Our Favourite Books of 2011
Eavan Boland's A Journey with Two Maps: Becoming a Woman Poet contains essays both personal and public written in a tone urgent and wise, with astute observations on her own trajectory as a poet and the work of Elizabeth Bishop, Sylvia Plath and Paula Meehan, among others. - Colm Toibin, The Irish Times, Our Favourite Books of 2011
'Over eight collections, her developing forms and subjects - the fabric of domestic life, myth, love, history and Irish rural landscape - have kept their commitment to lyrical grace and feminism.'
Ruth Padel, The Independent on Sunday, January 2000.

'A skilled and celebrated poet.'
Ken Gladdish, Poetry Quarterly Review, Autumn 1999.

'Eavan Boland's critical status has burgeoned in the last ten years to the point where she is now one of the major figures in contemporary Irish and women's poetry.'
The North magazine.

'This subtle, unadorned book is typical of Boland's powerfully persuasive manner as a poet.'
Michael Glover, The Independent on Sunday, October 1998.

'The internationally acclaimed Irish poet powerfully and movingly continues to merge private and mythic history.'
W.W. Norton books.

'She's a poet of both painterly and worldly engagements, equally attentive to the dance of the intellect and the testimony of the senses.'
The Boston Review.

'Thoughtful, spare and elgant verse from one of Ireland's most significant poets.'
Margaret Greenwood, The Rough Guide to Ireland.

'A modern romantic with impressive intellectual resources, Boland fulfils her desire to "bless the ordinary...sanctify the common." Her poems have a rare artistic resonance.'
Alan Bold, The Scotsman, 1987.

'She has the equipment of the true poet, that is to say an image-making faculty, a true devoted eye and an ear for rhythm.'
Iain Crichton Smith, Chapman magazine, 1989.

'Boland's gift is that she is always accessible, never elitist, but intelligent, striving and inclusive.'
Sue Hubbard, New Statesman and Society, 1996.

'The wealth of Eavan Boland's language is complemented by a visual wealth in metaphors.'
Anthony Libby, the New York Times, 1987.

'More than twenty years ago her voice was sweet and low and musical...now it has deepened in resonance and authority.'
Brian Kennelly, The Irish Times, 1986.

Janet Montefiore, Times Literary Supplement , 10th December 1999 Dried in an Irish field
Eavan Boland's poetry circles around two obliquely related questions: how can one be an Irish woman poet writing in English? read more

Ken Gladdish, Poetry Quarterly Review , Issue 14: Autumn 1999
A skilled and celebrated poet, Eavan Boland has followed her Collected Poems with this volume, whose subject is larely Ireland and its tragic past. read more

The statues of O'Connell Street BY MICHAEL GLOVER
Prufrock, ever hesitant, had to prepare to face to meet a face. read more

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The Lost Land Eavan Boland RRP: GBP£ 9.95 Discount: 10% You Save: GBP£ 0.99 Price: GBP£ 8.96 Available Paperback ISBN: 978 1 857543 80 3 Categories: 21st Century, Irish, Women Imprint: Carcanet Poetry Published: September 1998 216 x 135 mm 128 pages Publisher: Carcanet Press Description Excerpt Author Reviews Beautiful land the patriot said and rinsed it with his blood. And the sun rose. And the river burned. The earth leaned towards him: Shadows grew long. Ran red. Beautiful land I whispered. But the roads stayed put. Stars froze over the suburb. Shadows iced up. Nothing moved. Except my hand across the page. And these words. 'Whose?' Eavan Boland's new book, her first since the Collected Poems, is in two parts. The opening sequence entitled 'Colony' explores the theme of Irish language and culture. This is followed by a collection of individual poems which open out from autobiography into a sense of larger belonging. 'The Lost Land' of the title, the poet says, is 'not exactly a country and not entirely a state of mind ... the lost land is not a place that can be subdivided into history, or love, or memory. It is the poet's own, single, and private account of the ghostly territory where so much human experience comes to be stored.' 'Boland has emerged as one of the best poets in Ireland.' Denis Donoghue NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS Born in Dublin in 1944, Eavan Boland studied in Ireland, London and New York. Her first book was published in 1967. She has taught at Trinity College, University College and Bowdoin College Dublin, and at the University of Iowa. She is currently Mabury Knapp Professor in the Humanities at Stanford University, ... read more Praise for Eavan Boland Eavan Boland's A Journey with Two Maps: Becoming a Woman Poet contains essays both personal and public written in a tone urgent and wise, with astute observations on her own trajectory as a poet and the work of Elizabeth Bishop, Sylvia Plath and Paula Meehan, among others. - *Colm Toibin, The Irish Times, Our Favourite Books of 2011* Eavan Boland's A Journey with Two Maps: Becoming a Woman Poet contains essays both personal and public written in a tone urgent and wise, with astute observations on her own trajectory as a poet and the work of Elizabeth Bishop, Sylvia Plath and Paula Meehan, among others. - *Colm Toibin, The Irish Times, Our Favourite Books of 2011* Eavan Boland's A Journey with Two Maps: Becoming a Woman Poet contains essays both personal and public written in a tone urgent and wise, with astute observations on her own trajectory as a poet and the work of Elizabeth Bishop, Sylvia Plath and Paula Meehan, among others. - *Colm Toibin, The Irish Times, Our Favourite Books of 2011* 'Over eight collections, her developing forms and subjects - the fabric of domestic life, myth, love, history and Irish rural landscape - have kept their commitment to lyrical grace and feminism.' Ruth Padel, The Independent on Sunday, January 2000. 'A skilled and celebrated poet.' Ken Gladdish, Poetry Quarterly Review, Autumn 1999. 'Eavan Boland's critical status has burgeoned in the last ten years to the point where she is now one of the major figures in contemporary Irish and women's poetry.' The North magazine. 'This subtle, unadorned book is typical of Boland's powerfully persuasive manner as a poet.' Michael Glover, The Independent on Sunday, October 1998. 'The internationally acclaimed Irish poet powerfully and movingly continues to merge private and mythic history.' W.W. Norton books. 'She's a poet of both painterly and worldly engagements, equally attentive to the dance of the intellect and the testimony of the senses.' The Boston Review. 'Thoughtful, spare and elgant verse from one of Ireland's most significant poets.' Margaret Greenwood, The Rough Guide to Ireland. 'A modern romantic with impressive intellectual resources, Boland fulfils her desire to "bless the ordinary...sanctify the common." Her poems have a rare artistic resonance.' Alan Bold, The Scotsman, 1987. 'She has the equipment of the true poet, that is to say an image-making faculty, a true devoted eye and an ear for rhythm.' Iain Crichton Smith, Chapman magazine, 1989. 'Boland's gift is that she is always accessible, never elitist, but intelligent, striving and inclusive.' Sue Hubbard, New Statesman and Society, 1996. 'The wealth of Eavan Boland's language is complemented by a visual wealth in metaphors.' Anthony Libby, the New York Times, 1987. 'More than twenty years ago her voice was sweet and low and musical...now it has deepened in resonance and authority.' Brian Kennelly, The Irish Times, 1986. Janet Montefiore, Times Literary Supplement , 10th December 1999 Dried in an Irish field Eavan Boland's poetry circles around two obliquely related questions: how can one be an Irish woman poet writing in English? read more Ken Gladdish, Poetry Quarterly Review , Issue 14: Autumn 1999 A skilled and celebrated poet, Eavan Boland has followed her Collected Poems with this volume, whose subject is larely Ireland and its tragic past. read more The statues of O'Connell Street BY MICHAEL GLOVER Prufrock, ever hesitant, had to prepare to face to meet a face. read more	Share this... 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