Book description
P. J. Kavanagh's 1982 edition of the Collected Poems established
Ivor Gurney (1890-1937) as one of the most original poets of the early
twentieth century. His experiences in the First World War and his love
of his native Gloucestershire countryside were sources of a unique
poetic voice: vigorous, lyrical and passionate. In this new,
substantially revised edition, Gurney can be enjoyed in his entirety
by a new generation of readers. The poems have been re-ordered to take
into account new work on Gurney, the texts corrected from the archive
and editorial material substantially revised, while retaining P. J.
Kavanagh's extensive original introduction. To many readers, the 1982
edition was a revelation. Re-reading Gurney, writes P. J. Kavanagh,
'is to be reminded how miraculously good he can be: his celebration of
the ordinary, his eye for detail, his musical ear that combines
traditional rhythms with the unpredictable...'
