Portobello Bridge (The Rocky Road To Dublin)

    Silver stars shine peacefully,
    The Canal is silver, the
    Poplars bear with modest grace
    Gossamers of silver lace,
    And the turf bank wears with glee
    Black and silver filigree.

James Stephens

James Stephens was an Irish novelist and poet, whose literary output includes many retellings of Irish myths and fairy tales. He was born on February 9, 1880, and passed away on December 26, 1950. Notable works include 'The Crock of Gold' and 'The Demi-Gods'. Stephens also wrote several well-regarded collections of poetry, including 'The Hill of Vision' and 'Insurrections'. His work is characterized by a blend of myth, fantasy, and modernism, capturing the spirit and culture of Ireland.

James Stephens

The Old Man (The Adventures Of Seumas Beg)

James Stephens, Simple Poetry

Geoffrey Keating

James Stephens, Simple Poetry

The Devil's Bag (The Adventures Of Seumas Beg)

James Stephens, Simple Poetry

English

Suggested Poems

Explore a curated selection of verses that share themes, styles, and emotional resonance with the poem you've just read.

O'Connell Bridge (The Rocky Road To Dublin)

    In Dublin town the people see
    Gorgeous clouds sail gorgeously,
    They are finer, I declare,
    Than the clouds of anywhere.

    A swirl of blue and red and green,
    A stream of blinding gold, a sheen
    From silver hill and pearly ridge
    Comes each evening on the bridge.

    So when you walk in a field, look down,
    Lest you tramp on a daisy's crown,
    But in a city look always high
    And watch the beautiful clouds go by.

James Stephens

Mount Street (The Rocky Road To Dublin)

    Here and there on the wings of night
    A fleck of blue and purple light,
    A scrap of cloud, a bird, a star,
    A comet hurrying afar
    On the abyss, and the moon
    Standing in her silver shoon.

    On the summit of the sky,
    Delicate and proud and high,
    The silver moon on a silver sea
    Spins her silver broidery
    While the stars send down a light
    Here and there on the wings of night.

James Stephens

Merrion Square (The Rocky Road To Dublin)

    Grey clouds on the tinted sky,
    A drifting moon, a quiet breeze
    Drooping mournfully to cry
    In the branches of the trees.

    The crying wind, the sighing trees,
    The ruffled stars, the darkness falling
    Down the sky, and on the breeze
    A belated linnet calling.

James Stephens

Donnybrook (The Rocky Road To Dublin)

    I saw the moon so broad and bright
    Sailing high on a frosty night:

    And the air swung far and far between
    The silver disc and the orb of green:

    While here and there a wisp of white
    Cloud-film swam on the misty light:

    And crusted thickly on the sky,
    High and higher and yet more high,

    Were golden star-points dusted through
    The great, wide, silent vault of blue:

    Then I said to me, God is good
    And the world is fair, and where I stood

    I knelt me down and bent my head,
    And said my prayers, and went to bed.

James Stephens

Grafton Street (The Rocky Road To Dublin)

    At four o'clock, in dainty talk,
    Lords and lovely ladies walk,
    With a gentle dignity,
    From the Green to Trinity.

    And at five o'clock they take,
    In a Café, tea and cake,
    Then they call a carriage, and
    Drive back into fairyland.

James Stephens

York Street (The Rocky Road To Dublin)

    If in winter you shall drive
    Birds from crumbs, you shall not thrive;
    But if you feed them, they will fly
    To sing it sweetly on the sky.

    So throw up the window, and
    Scatter with a lavish hand,
    Taking care you do not spill
    Flower-pots from the window-sill,

    Singing, "Ireland shall be free
    From the centre to the sea";
    Singing bravely once again,
    "We are Dan O'Connell's Men."

James Stephens