G. Identify and discuss what, in your opinion, are the distinctive qualities of Patrick Kavanagh's poetry. In your answer you should support the points you make by reference to the poems by Kavanagh on your course.
             Kavanagh's poetry has a number of distinctive qualities, many of which I feel give his poetry character and authenticity. I feel he also has a somewhat simple but distinguishing formula to his poetry. A number of these qualities include his often narrative, casual and conversational speech, his deep appreciation for the simple things in life, his references to rural life, names and place names, the joys of youth and biblical or religious references. Often times Kavanagh also speaks as an outsider, he gives reference (sometimes mockingly) to the fact that he appears to live up to the stereotypical view of the solitary poet, he also frequently writes poetry in a reminiscent fashion. There are also a number of qualities that are common to Kavanagh's later poetry.
             Kavanagh's conversational and informal tones can be seen in poems such as Inniskeen road: July evening, A Christmas childhood, and The hospital. They all have a casual and often narrative tone as if the poet is telling a story or just talking to a friend. In these poems mentioned they are also somewhat reminiscent, Kavanagh is telling of circumstances, which he lived in, and sometimes personnel thoughts. The simple language he uses gives the poetry character because it is often influenced by his rural background. In Innishkeen road he comments on the bicycles going by and in The hospital he comments on the basins and cubicles he sees around him.
             The use of names and place names in Kavanaghs poetry gives an effect of immediacy, there are examples of names in his poetry more often than not, it seems and regularly in the titles themselves- Inniskeen road, Shancoduff, Lines written on a seat on the Grand Canal, Dublin. In A Christmas childhood K...