The Collected Poems of Roland Mathias

(Hardback)

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Description

Roland Mathias is one of the most important writers to emerge in Wales since the Second World War. He was one of the founders of Dock Leaves in 1949 and became an outstanding editor of the magazine under its revised title, The Anglo-Welsh Review. He is a distinguished short-story writer, literary critic and, above all, a poet. His poetry is profoundly influenced by the personal challenge of Christian morality and focuses on the intertwined concerns of family, mutability, history and landscape. It is characterized by verbal inventiveness, skilful use of metre and honesty of observation. The Collected Poems of Roland Mathias contains his entire poetic output, from Days Enduring (1942) to A Field at Vallorcines (1996), as well as a number of previously unpublished pieces. The poems are fully annotated and, in addition to a biographical outline and bibliography, the editor's introduction includes an extended discussion of Mathias's poetic development and a review of critical opinions of his poetry. This is the definitive edition of the poetic work of one of the major figures of twentieth-century Welsh writing in English.

Reviews

'... scrupulously compiled and edited by Sam Adams ... wider readership and critical discussion of Roland Mathias in Wales are long overdue. With this book, they are now possible. One can only be thankful for its appearance, and grateful to Sam Adams for his role in the labour that has brought it into being ... It is good to feel that with this book, his poetry is now available to be read more widely, and to enter into the mainstream of the literary culture that he has served so well in many ways.' Planet 'In concept and execution the book is a worthy tribute to the long and distinguished career of Roland Mathias; it recognizes the value of the poetry and the importance of the poet by treating both with sustained and serious scholarly attention.' (Poetry Wales)

Author Bio

Sam Adams has written widely on Welsh writing in English. In addition to editing Seeing Wales Whole (1998), he has written several books for the Writers of Wales series, including Roland Mathias (1995) and is the editor of The Collected Short Stories of Roland Mathias (2001)