Wilkes, Professor G.A. M.A

Component identifier:

Item 80

Content Summary:

New Perspectives on Brennan's Poetry

(Reprinted from Southerly, 1952-1953)

Quarter-leather. 58pp, 4to.

Randolph Hughes in his essay on Brennan wrote: "It is most devoutly to be hoped that no meddlesome hack or pedant will ever attempt to furnish a crib designed to give exhaustively what he misconceives to be the 'full' meaning of the more 'obscure' passages of Brennan".

The author, however, has ignored this injunction, and rejecting much previously written, has made his own research amongst the available manuscripts and letters. In his thesis Professor Wilkes, has presented, what is perhaps, the most carefully documented interpretation of Brennan's poetry, written to date.

Some readers may find certain of his conclusions difficult of acceptance. I select one, for instance: "Brennan's whole personal endeavour was to reach beyond the one life to the other, to the sphere 'radiant with love and beauty' - to recover Eden".

For my part, I cannot reconcile this concept of Brennan's metaphysic with the grossness of his life in its physical manifestations.

Inserted is an interesting autograph letter from Robert D. FitzGerald, to literary friend, 2pp, 4to, 1 November 1949. The contents are wholly concerned with Brennan's poetry. One comment: "What a lot of what he did is so turgid as to be unreadable - might be good if you had enough patience, must be good, for brief extracts are good; and what a lot strikes you as being more pretentious than good. There is still the residue that makes me still and always Brennan's admirer".

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