Forty Foot Press
Deep Canyons
Poems By Students From
Loreto Abbey Dalkey
Edited by Anne Fitzgerald
"What the poems in Deep Canyons indicate is that young adulthood is as difficult and exhilarating as it has always been. The transition-
Caitríona O’Reilly
Deep Canyons
(Dublin, Loreto Abbey Dalkey Press, 2005)
ISBN 0-
Cover Photograph © Anne Fitzgerald
The instinct to make poetry is as old as humankind. The pleasure derived from rhythm -
With the advent of the written word another characteristic of poetry developed -
The extraordinary social upheaval caused in the Western world by the First World War was soon reflected in much of the poetry written after that period. Life was no longer as clearly structured as before and poets felt that literature should mirror this change. It was believed that the content or meaning of a poem should dictate its form and rhythm and so the ‘modern’ poem evolved.
In this collection of poems by our Transition Year, some students have chosen the traditional format, while others have experimented with shape and sound. Each has endeavoured to explore the deeper canyons of her mind and to express her own voice through her language and imagery.
We should like to thank and congratulate all our contributors to this book. Special thanks are due to Anne Fitzgerald, their mentor, whose enthusiasm and own gift as a poet have encouraged the girls and fostered their talents.
We hope you enjoy this second collection of poems from our school.
Introduction to Deep Canyons
Dolores MacKenna Principal,
Loreto Abbey, Dalkey