Who is Padraic Colum

Padraic Colum (8 December 1881 – 11 January 1972) was an Irish poet, novelist, dramatist, biographer, playwright, children's author and collector of folklore. He was one of the leading figures of the Irish Literary Revival.

Early life

Colum was born Patrick Columb in a County Longford workhouse, where his father worked. He was the first of eight children born to Patrick and Susan Columb.When the father lost his job in 1889, he moved to the United States to participate in the Colorado gold rush. Padraic and his mother and siblings remained in Ireland, having moved to live with his grandmother in County Cavan. When the father returned in 1892, the family moved to Glasthule, near Dublin, where his father was employed as Assistant Manager at Sandycove and Glasthule r...
Read Full Biography of Padraic Colum


Padraic Colum Poems

  • A Cradle Song
    O men from the fields,
    Come gently within.
    Tread softly, softly
    O men coming in! ...
  • No Child
    I HEARD in the night the pigeons
    Stirring within their nest:
    The wild pigeons' stir was tender,
    Like a child's hand at the breast. ...
  • Queen Gormlai
    NOT fingers that e'er felt
    Fine things within their hold
    Drew needles in and through,
    And smoothed out the fold, ...
  • Young Girl: Annam
    I AM a young girl;
    I live here alone:
    I write long letters
    But there is no one ...
  • Dedication: To M. C. M. C.
    THE well-
    They come to it and take
    Their cupful or their palmful out of it.
    ...
Read All Poems


Top 10 most used topics by Padraic Colum

Night 27 Heart 21 Sea 21 Fire 20 House 20 Dark 19 Hear 19 Never 18 Song 18 Long 18


Padraic Colum Quotes

Read All Quotes


Comments about Padraic Colum

Kennedymary: love that second one patricia. was it tge old woman of the roads? was it padraic colum?
Kennedymary: love that second one patricia. was it the old woman of the roads? was it padraic colum?
Rk70534: kellot padraic colum(1881-1972)
Pequotlibrary: from the library's 2021-22 exhibition, "magic, mayhem, and maturity: the growth of youth fantasty literature". "the forge in the forest" by padraic colum illustrated by boris artzybasheff new york: the macmillan company, 1925 pequot library special collections
Aaronirber: i just ordered two of padraic colum’s book from cluny media! get 30% off at cluny media
Read All Comments


Write your comment about Padraic Colum


Poem of the day

Edgar Albert Guest Poem
The Killing Place
 by Edgar Albert Guest

We're hiking along at a two-forty pace
We 're making life seem like a man-killing race,
With our nerves all on edge and our jaws firmly set
We go rushing along; with our brows lined with sweat
And our cheeks pale and drawn every minute we dash,
And the goal that we 're after is merely more cash.

We 're out for the money, the greenbacks and gold,
...

Read complete poem

Popular Poets