Poetry of Katharine Tynan, The

Katherine Tynan was born on January 23rd 1859 into a large farming family in Clondalkin, County Dublin, and educated at a convent school in Drogheda. In her early years she suffered from eye ulcers, which left her somewhat myopic. She first began to have her poems published in 1878. A great friend to Gerard Manley Hopkins and to WB Yeats (who it is rumoured proposed marriage but was rejected). With Yeats to encourage her, her poetry blossomed and she was equally supportive of his. She married fellow writer and barrister Henry Albert Hinkson in 1898. They moved to England where she bore and began to raise 5 children although two were to tragically die in infancy. In 1912 they returned to Claremorris, County Mayo when her husband was appointed magistrate there from 1912 until 1919. Sadly her husband died that year but Katherine continued to write. Her output was prolific, some sources have her as the author of almost a 100 novels. Here we concentrate on her poetry. Amongst the classics such as ‘The Wind That Shakes the Barley’ are numerous war poems. She is now sometimes grouped amongst the War Poets of the First World War. Her experience was not direct but as a Mother with one son serving in France and another in Palestine, the emotions, fears and doubts are expressed in a beautiful heart-felt way. Katharine died on April 2nd 1931 and she is buried at Kensal Green Cemetery in London. 1 - The Poetry of Katherine Tynan - An Introduction 2 - Any Woman by Katharine Tynan 3 - The Nurse by Katharine Tynan 4 - The Only Child by Katharine Tynan 5 - Alienation by Katharine Tynan 6 - The Young Mother by Katharine Tynan 7 - Any Mother by Katharine Tynan 8 - The Only Son by Katharine Tynan 9 - The Father by Katharine Tynan 10 - The Summons by Katharine Tynan 11 - Joining the Colours by Katharine Tynan 12 - The Aerodrome by Katharine Tynan 13 - Flower of Youth by Katharine Tynan 14 - A Lament by Katharine Tynan 15 - The Predestined by Katharine Tynan 16 - A Hero by Katharine Tynan 17 - Mid the Piteous Heap of Dead by Katharine Tynan 18 - The Weeping Babe by Katharine Tynan 19 - All Souls by Katharine Tynan 20 - No Man's Land by Katharine Tynan 21 - The Old Soldier by Katharine Tynan 22 - Salutation by Katharine Tynan 23 - Wings in the Night by Katharine Tynan 24 - The Great Sorrow by Katharine Tynan 25 - The End of the Day by Katharine Tynan 26 - They Who Return by Katharine Tynan 27 - Quiet Eyes by Kathaine Tynan 28 - The Refuge by Katharine Tynan 29 - The Foggy Dew by Katharine Tynan 30 - A Song of Spring by Katharine Tynan 31 - Slow Spring by Katharine Tynan 32 - Sheep and Lambs by Katharine Tynan 33 - Easter by Katharine Tynan 34 - Winter Sunset by Katharine Tynan 35 - A Gardener Sage by Katharine Tynan 36 - The Bird's Bargain by Katharine Tynan 37 - St Francis and the Birds by Katharine Tynan 38 - The Wind That Shakes the Barley by Katharine Tynan 39 - Blessings by Katharine Tynan 40 - A Song for the New Year by Katherine Tynan 41 - Mater Dei by Katharine Tynan 42 - Immortality by Katharine Tynan 43 - The Epitipah by Katharine Tynan