Sixteen Poems

"Sixteen Poems by William Allingham" is a collection of poems selected by William Butler Yeats, published in the early 20th century. As a compilation of lyrical poetry, it showcases Allingham's reflections on nature, love, and the ethereal aspects of Irish folklore. The works are set against the backdrop of a rural Irish landscape, evoking the beauty and complexity of life in that era. The collection features a diverse range of themes, from nostalgic memories of home in "The Winding Banks of Erne" to whimsical encounters with fairies in "The Fairies" and "The Lepracaun or Fairy Shoemaker." Each poem paints vivid imagery, often juxtaposing human emotions with the natural world, as seen in the lamentations of love and loss in "The Girl's Lamentation." The poignant exploration of life, death, and the passage of time is evident in poems like "The Abbot of Innisfallen," which tells of a monk lost in time and "The Ruined Chapel," reflecting on the silence of a forgotten place. Collectively, these poems capture the essence of Allingham's artistic voice, resonating with themes of longing, memory, and the mysterious interplay between the earthly and the supernatural. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

William Allingham was an Irish poet, diarist and editor. He wrote several volumes of lyric verse, and his poem "The Faeries" was much anthologised. But he is better known for his posthumously published Diary, in which he records his lively encounters with Tennyson, Carlyle and other writers and artists. His wife, Helen Allingham, was a well-known watercolourist and illustrator.