The Candlelight Master

A haunting exploration of memory, art, and war from one of Ireland's foremost poets.

The Candlelight Master delves into the chiaroscuro of life, illuminating both shadows and light. Inspired by a mysterious Baroque painter, this collection contemplates the quest for artistic perfection in the face of age. Poems about Matisse and Bonnard reveal the vital connection between art and life. Addressed to the eighth-century Japanese poet, Otomo Yakamochi, Longley reflects on how we gaze on our soul-landscapes more intensely with every year. The collection explores memory, war, and translation, speaking to our own dark times. Longley's Carrigskeewaun becomes a meeting place for dead poets and lyric voices of the past.