Louis MacNeice's 'The Introduction'

Louis MacNeice (1907-1963)

One of the underrated poets of the twentieth century. A fine critic, an entertaining writer of prose and a fine poet, (unfairly I think) overshadowed in the history books by his friend W.H. Auden.

Perhaps his reputation also suffers because although Irish, he lived most of his life in England. So he misses out on the club value of ‘Irish Poet’ while remaining outside the charmed circle of “English Poets’.

This is not one of the poems I’d offer as proof of his excellence, but it’s one I like. The cosmic indifference of the universe: he was too early, she was too late.

This is taken from Peter MacDonald’s Collected Poems of Louis MacNeice, revised for Faber in 2007 for the centenary of his birth. This poem also appears in Michael Longley’s selection of MacNeice’s verse in Faber’s poet to poet series.