Music in modern Irish literature

Abstract

Music and literature have always been closely associated in Ireland to an extent unknown in western countries. The case of Irish literature is a clear instance of the range of the presence of music in literature, from the popular to the most sophisticated. From the old legends up to contemporary Irish literature the overwhelming presence of music is apparent in poems, novels, and drama in most if not all Irish writers, and this is an outstanding feature not to be found in other European literatures. This book is an attempt to trace the tracks of Irish music and classical and popular music in modern Irish literature in English, but at the same time some chapters try to explore to what an extent a similar association of music and literature is possible in Galicia, and the contributions that follow try to provide different insights into a number of works from different critical viewpoints.