Talk:Paul Muldoon

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Is it worth noting his patronage of the Crescent Arts Centre in Belfast? --82.29.238.112 (talk) 11:17, 18 October 2010 (UTC)

Neither Muldoon nor Heaney live in Northern Ireland. Further there is no sense in which Muldoon is as 'eminent' as Heaney.

I agree with poster above. And the next line is worse, implying PM is gaining rapidly on SH! Sounds like Hemingway saying he had gone a few rounds with Turgenev, but in a mock heroic way. I vote to remove whenever this article is next edited. Profhum (talk) 04:25, 17 April 2009 (UTC)

Muldoon's position as a Northern Irish poet isn't challenged by his moving to America. Both Heaney and Muldoon wrote some of the most important poetry about Northern Ireland, and they did so when they lived there, so there really isn't a problem with referring to them as coming from Northern Ireland and being associated with the literary group there (the influence of the Hobsbaum Group is still strong). For confirmation, I suggest reading Edna Longley's book "Poetry in the Wars". As for Muldoon gaining on Heaney, this is only true in terms of popular acceptance. I have edited the section to reflect that.

There is a lot more work to be done on this article. Given that I am currently writing my PhD on Muldoon's poetry, I think I have the necessary expertise to bring to bear on the topic, and I will continue to update this as I get time. Cheers BlackMarlin (talk) 11:33, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

The "post-modern poet"
I'm intrigued by the 'post-modern' poet discussion that's been going on. I'm not greatly attached to the label, personally, but I wonder what else he would be? Isn't his work at the forefront of what is considered to be contemporary post-modern poetry? Wasn't that what his Oxford Professorship was about? The British Poetry archive seem to think so: Paul Muldoon has since gone on to produce more than 30 collections of poetry and has won many awards including the T. S. Eliot Prize and the Pulitzer Prize. His complex re-shaping of poetic conventions, Joycean word-play,cunning fragmentation of narrative, splicing-together of references to high and popular culture, and generally brilliant playfulness have led him to be called the pre-eminent post-modern poet of the age.

The New York Times, [http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/book-review--lord-of-the-red-herrings-the-annals-of-chile--paul-muldoon-faber-1499799-1441750.html. The Independent] and Muldoon himself use the label, among others. Just wondering why it should seem so offensive. They came after the modernists. Best wishes Spanglej (talk) 22:27, 17 September 2010 (UTC)


 * Is it offensive? I'd say the question is with regards to accuracy. I am not saying I do or do not agree with the labeling of Muldoon as post-modern, but the problem is that "post-modernity" is not really an economic or political experience present in either Ireland or NI. I agree that technique-wise, Muldoon's work shares in the post-modern stylings of some American poets, but some people might have a problem labeling all poetry that is self-conscious, reflexive, allusive, and playful as postmodern.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.6.66.222 (talk) 18:00, 11 November 2010 (UTC)

I was referring the extensive sourcing which cites him as one of the major post-modern poets of our time (see above). I am not "labelling all poetry". Best wishes Span (talk) 20:29, 11 November 2010 (UTC)

Mystery of Muldoon's birthplace
The intro says he was born in Portadown. The next para says he was born on the family farm in The Moy. Surely even Muldoon can't have been born in two different places? Cooke (talk) 21:04, 18 February 2012 (UTC)
 * According to the New York Times he was born in a small village near the Moy not far from Portadown. I've added more refs to the intro to clarify. Span (talk) 21:30, 18 February 2012 (UTC).
 * Thanks Spangle. The intro now says that he was Catholic in a largely Protestant area but that's wrong so I'm changing it. In the last census the population of The Moy was 70% of Catholic background and 14% of Protestant background.