Michael Smith (poet) facts for kids

Michael Smith (1942–2014) was an Irish poet, writer, and translator. He was a member of Aosdána, a special group for Irish artists. Michael Smith was the first "Writer in Residence" at University College, Dublin. This means he was a special writer who worked at the university. He was also an "Honorary Fellow" of UCD, which is like being a special member.

Michael Smith dedicated his life to poetry. He wrote poems in English and also translated many poems from Spanish. People described him as a "classical modernist." This means his poetry was modern but also had a classic style.

Michael Smith's Work

Michael Smith started a publishing company called New Writers Press in Dublin in 1967. He began it with Trevor Joyce and his wife, Irene Smith. Through this company, he helped publish over 70 books and magazines.

He also started and edited an important literary magazine called The Lace Curtain. From 1984 to 1989, he was part of the Arts Council. This group helps support art in Ireland.

Translating Spanish Poets

Michael Smith was very good at translating. He translated many challenging and exciting Spanish poets into English. Some of these famous poets include Federico García Lorca and Pablo Neruda. He also translated works by Miguel Hernández, Francisco de Quevedo, and Luis de Góngora.

He translated poems by other Spanish writers too. These include Gerardo Diego, José Hierro, Jiménez, and Luis Cernuda. In 2001, he won a big award for his translations. It was called the European Academy Medal.

His Own Poetry

Michael Smith's own poems appeared in many collections of Irish poetry. One famous collection was The Penguin Book of Contemporary Irish Poetry.

Some of his recent books of poetry include The Purpose of the Gift: Selected Poems. Another book was Maldon and Other Translations. His poems have been translated into many languages. These include Spanish, Polish, French, and German.

He also published more translations later in his life. These included Selected Poems of Rosalía de Castro and The Prison Poems of Miguel Hernández. With Luis Ingelmo, he translated the Complete Poems of Claudio Rodriguéz. He also translated the Complete Poems of Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer.

In 2009, his Collected Poems were published. He also worked with a Peruvian scholar named Valentino Gianuzzi. Together, they translated all the poems of César Vallejo into English. This was a huge project, published in four volumes. In 2009, he also translated some poems by the Spanish poet Juan Antonio Villacañas. He did this with Beatriz Villacañas. You can find these in Juan Antonio Villacañas: Selected Poems.