The Mountainy Singer

Joseph CampbellProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.1

Word count: 56K words
Chapters: 6

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Mountainy Singer by Joseph CampbellAuthor: Campbell, Joseph, 1879-1944,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Feb 18, 2012

Editor's review

Campbell's collection is a lucid specimen from the aftermath of the early twentieth-century Irish literary revival. Writing in the voice of a mountain singer, the author treats rural scenery, folklore, and personal lyric, retaining much colloquial rhythm and ballad-like refrain; the poems read as song rather than as cloistered verse. For Chinese readers its value lies not in difficulty but in offering an easy entry into Irish mountain experience: mostly short pieces, plain imagery, and simple feeling, it suits extensive reading in English poetry and lets researchers observe how regional writing absorbs oral folk tradition. Note that this is a public-domain English-language e-book with no translation notes or introduction; allusions and dialect words may hinder reading, so it is best read slowly alongside background material, as a slice of its era rather than a canonical must-read.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English-language readers interested in Irish literature and regional poetry
Self-learners seeking short English poems for extensive reading
Literature students studying early twentieth-century English ballad-style writing

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a Chinese translation or detailed annotations
Readers who prefer novels or strongly plotted narratives

Reading tips

Read through once for rhythm, then look up unfamiliar words and place names poem by poem; do not expect to understand everything at first.
Read aloud and attend to refrain and rhyme; this reveals ballad features better than silent reading.
Read alongside background on Irish geography and folklore to understand the sources of the imagery.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is there a Chinese translation of this book?

According to available information, this is a public-domain English-language e-book released by Project Gutenberg, and no Chinese translation is mentioned. Readers need some English reading ability and may use dictionaries and background material for support.

Is it suitable for English beginners?

The poetic language includes dialect and ballad-style ellipsis and has no annotations, so beginners may find it frustrating. Those with basic English reading ability can use it for extensive reading; complete beginners should start with annotated poetry anthologies.

What background is helpful before reading?

Some knowledge of the early twentieth-century Irish literary revival and regional ballad tradition helps but is not required. The short pieces stand alone well; read the texts first, then add material on geography, folklore, and the author's era as interest dictates.

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About the author

Joseph Campbell Author · Irish · 1879–1944

Joseph Campbell (1879–1944) was an Irish poet and a participant in the Irish Literary Revival. His writing was linked to the awakening of national literary consciousness in early twentieth-century Ireland. His works often take Irish rural life and natural scenery as their subject, in plain language with a ballad-like rhythm. He is the author of the poetry collection The Mountainy Singer, and in Mearing Stones: Leaves from My Note-Book on Tramp in Donegal he recorded observations and reflections from walking in County Donegal, combining prose sketches with a poet's eye. Two of his works are held in this collection. Public information about the details of his life and literary activities is limited; his influence lies mainly in poetry and notebooks that portray Irish life through local experience.