Malahide Castle (Christiane Clemens)‘Time and Place’: A Poem by Margaret Brinton The Society June 8, 2025 Beauty, Poetry 11 Comments . Time and Place He gave me his coat once in Dublin At dusk in a damp, chilly draft. We spoke of those old Irish writers— Just where had they mastered their craft? Did Wilde wield his pen in Dun Laoghaire While pausing beside the cold sea, Or did he spin thoughts in the meadows In solitude, pensive yet free. Was Yeats writing verses in Dalkey Where others were daubing with paint, Or did he retreat to Kilkenny Or villages even more quaint? And Joyce—did he find inspiration Near the castle in old Malahide, Or was he engrossed by the river When fishing boats swayed in the tide? Their work was a quest, a conviction; Their concepts a challenge to hone. A method made fit with each writer, The setting was each to his own. They’d searched through the wisdom of ages Like that which is done by a sleuth, Their stories and verses unfolding By digging and delving for truth. The next year, returning to Dublin, Again in that air of mystique, I felt something real of those writers; ‘Twas almost as if they could speak. . . Margaret Brinton has lived in San Diego’s inland valley area for over forty years where she taught and tutored. Her poems have recently been published in California Quarterly and Westward Quarterly and The Lyric with upcoming work in the greeting card industry. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. ***Read Our Comments Policy Here*** 11 Responses Roy Eugene Peterson June 8, 2025 Margaret this is a wonderful poem incorporating the perspectives possibly provided by and for some of the great Irish authors. The poem flowed with attention to detail, rhythm, and rhyme. This was a special treat on my Sunday afternoon. By the way, I am familiar with the inland valley near San Diego having once lived in Oceanside. Reply Margaret Coats June 8, 2025 Margaret, the “Time and Place” question about Ireland’s literary giants is a most intriguing one. Wilde, Yeats, and Joyce all were Irish by choice but much else as well. Your poem is an excellent way to set out the “mystique” each of them exemplifies and captures in his work, despite their many associations with other places and influences. Your opening stanza, with an unnamed Irishman providing you a cloak for comfort, opens your series of questions about the three great writers. Stanzas 5 and 6 become less and less particularized, in effect saying these queries cannot be answered, except that each of the three Irish writers was a being unto himself in imaginative thought. The final stanza is mysterious as well, because returning to Dublin a year later, you the speaker find something real of them in experiencing the place again. It’s an effective conclusion to an unfathomable search that has yet become satisfying. Reply Shamik Banerjee June 8, 2025 Almost an unreal feeling it is to visit the places where the great poets once thrived, breathe the air they breathed, and ponder on their works. This is a beautiful and lively piece, Margaret. Reply jd June 9, 2025 Enjoyed this poem very much, Margaret, for its cadence, rhyme and information about places in their lives. Loved the closing line. Reply Margaret Brinton June 9, 2025 To Roy and Ms. Coats and Shamik and JD, Thank you all for taking the time to comment on my poem. I appreciate your favorable comments and your helpful insight. Reply Paul Freeman June 9, 2025 A pleasant gallop through the Emerald Isle and the birth places of some of its literary luminaries. Inspiring, Margaret. Reply Warren Bonham June 10, 2025 I’ve been to many of the places you mentioned (but can’t pronounce them all). I know very little about Yeats and Joyce but am now motivated to remediate that shortcoming. Wilde, on the other hand, has many quotes that I throw around quite often when I want to sound smart and insightful. This was a very entertaining poem. Reply Margaret Brinton June 10, 2025 To Paul and Warren, Your comments have inspired my morning! Thank you both! Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant June 10, 2025 Isn’t it just wonderful how words linger long after an exceptional poet is gone from this earth. I like the way you capture the essence of their songs as you immerse the reader in the wonder of their homeland. I particularly like the Wilde stanza with the image of him spinning “thoughts in the meadows / In solitude, pensive yet free.” – I connect with those beautiful words wholeheartedly. Margaret, thank you! Reply C.B. Anderson June 10, 2025 Keep it up, Maggie. Right now you might be the best thing to come out of California we have seen in a long time. Reply Margaret Brinton June 11, 2025 To Susan and C.B. Thank you both for your supportive feedback. This motivates me! Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. You can also subscribe without commenting. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Roy Eugene Peterson June 8, 2025 Margaret this is a wonderful poem incorporating the perspectives possibly provided by and for some of the great Irish authors. The poem flowed with attention to detail, rhythm, and rhyme. This was a special treat on my Sunday afternoon. By the way, I am familiar with the inland valley near San Diego having once lived in Oceanside. Reply
Margaret Coats June 8, 2025 Margaret, the “Time and Place” question about Ireland’s literary giants is a most intriguing one. Wilde, Yeats, and Joyce all were Irish by choice but much else as well. Your poem is an excellent way to set out the “mystique” each of them exemplifies and captures in his work, despite their many associations with other places and influences. Your opening stanza, with an unnamed Irishman providing you a cloak for comfort, opens your series of questions about the three great writers. Stanzas 5 and 6 become less and less particularized, in effect saying these queries cannot be answered, except that each of the three Irish writers was a being unto himself in imaginative thought. The final stanza is mysterious as well, because returning to Dublin a year later, you the speaker find something real of them in experiencing the place again. It’s an effective conclusion to an unfathomable search that has yet become satisfying. Reply
Shamik Banerjee June 8, 2025 Almost an unreal feeling it is to visit the places where the great poets once thrived, breathe the air they breathed, and ponder on their works. This is a beautiful and lively piece, Margaret. Reply
jd June 9, 2025 Enjoyed this poem very much, Margaret, for its cadence, rhyme and information about places in their lives. Loved the closing line. Reply
Margaret Brinton June 9, 2025 To Roy and Ms. Coats and Shamik and JD, Thank you all for taking the time to comment on my poem. I appreciate your favorable comments and your helpful insight. Reply
Paul Freeman June 9, 2025 A pleasant gallop through the Emerald Isle and the birth places of some of its literary luminaries. Inspiring, Margaret. Reply
Warren Bonham June 10, 2025 I’ve been to many of the places you mentioned (but can’t pronounce them all). I know very little about Yeats and Joyce but am now motivated to remediate that shortcoming. Wilde, on the other hand, has many quotes that I throw around quite often when I want to sound smart and insightful. This was a very entertaining poem. Reply
Margaret Brinton June 10, 2025 To Paul and Warren, Your comments have inspired my morning! Thank you both! Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant June 10, 2025 Isn’t it just wonderful how words linger long after an exceptional poet is gone from this earth. I like the way you capture the essence of their songs as you immerse the reader in the wonder of their homeland. I particularly like the Wilde stanza with the image of him spinning “thoughts in the meadows / In solitude, pensive yet free.” – I connect with those beautiful words wholeheartedly. Margaret, thank you! Reply
C.B. Anderson June 10, 2025 Keep it up, Maggie. Right now you might be the best thing to come out of California we have seen in a long time. Reply
Margaret Brinton June 11, 2025 To Susan and C.B. Thank you both for your supportive feedback. This motivates me! Reply