Snow, By Louis MacNeice

Another week another top Irish poem. This week is the first appearance of Louise MacNeice.

You might not have heard of Louise MacNeice but he was born in Belfast, Ireland and educated at Oxford, MacNeice came of age with his 1939 volume Autumn Journal. For many years a radio dramatist and producer for the BBC.

What is the poem Snow about?’

Good question! Some people have said it about the way things are and the nature of reality and then others say it is about finding beauty in complicated things in life.

I particularly like the line:

World is crazier and more of it than we think,

But what do you think the meaning behind this great poem is, comment below. It comes in at number 39 on the top 100 Irish poems list.

Now let’s get to the poem.

The room was suddenly rich and the great bay-window was
Spawning snow and pink roses against it
Soundlessly collateral and incompatible:
World is suddener than we fancy it.

World is crazier and more of it than we think,
Incorrigibly plural. I peel and portion
A tangerine and spit the pips and feel
The drunkenness of things being various.

And the fire flames with a bubbling sound for world
Is more spiteful and gay than one supposes –
On the tongue on the eyes on the ears in the palms of one’s hands –
There is more than glass between the snow and the huge roses.

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