A new collection of short poems by an Aberystwyth academic offers a fresh take on the work of one of Wales’ highest regarded poets.
The newly published English language poems entitled ‘The Green Month’ celebrate the writings of Dafydd ap Gwilym, arguably Wales’s greatest poet.
Born in Ceredigion at the start of the 14thcentury, he is acknowledged as one of the most accomplished writers in Europe and a master of the Welsh strict poetic metre, the cywydd.
Ap Gwilym’s widely-acclaimed poetry explored love, desire and the natural world with startling frankness and virtuoso wit.
Written by Professor Matthew Francis of Aberystwyth University, the aim of the new book is to bring the ancient author’s compositions to life for the modern English-speaking reader.
Professor Francis from Aberystwyth University said:
“I hope that the book can bring the work of Dafydd ap Gwilym to the attention of a new audience. It is difficult to argue that he is not the best poet from Wales who ever lived. These delightful poems have stood the test of time over the centuries, intimate, urgent and timeless.
“Nature is a recuring theme in his work – with plants, birds and other animals fondly invoked. The weather and the elements – wind, waves, fog and ice – all play their part too. Passionate in his treatment of sexual themes, Dafydd was equally ready to make fun of his own susceptibility.”
Matthew Francis is an Emeritus Professor in the Department of English and Creative Writing at Aberystwyth University. He has lived in Wales for 25 years and his poetic version of the Welsh national epic ‘The Mabinogi’ has been widely acclaimed. He has published six previous collections with Faber and edited W. S. Graham’s New Collected Poems. His other work includes a collection of short stories and three novels.
