Clocha míle ar chéimeanna cinniúnacha im’ shaol agus ar ócáidí suntasacha a chuaigh i gcion orm is ea na hiarrachtaí seo – iarrachtaí friotal seachtrach a chur ar mhothúcháin phríobháideacha, ar thochta bróin agus áthais a bhog mo chroí, agus iad á sceitheadh agus á gcraoladh agam mar cheiliúradh agus mar leigheas ar ‘suas síos’ m’aistir. Níl an cur chuige iontu i bhfad ón tuiscint sin ag Wordsworth gur athghabháil mothúcháin faoi shuaimhneas gníomh na cumadóireachta féin; ná ó thuiscint T.S. Eliot go bhfeidhmíonn an dán mar objective correlative (comhchoibhneasach oibiachtúil) a thugann ardú meanman agus sólás croí – más slán an chomparáid ar bhonn modheolaíochta seachas ar bhonn fiúntais!

Sa chás go n-aithníonn an corrléitheoir go scáthánaíonn an fhaoistin phearsanta seo cuid dá thaithí nó dá taithí saoil féin, agus gur ábhar taitnimh sa mhéid sin é, is mó ná sásta mé féin gur éirigh leis an mise istigh teagmháil leis an gcomhluadar lasmuigh, le súil go rachadh an caidreamh chun ár leasa araon agus sinn ag tnúth le foirfeacht na háilleachta, ar léas ina treo iomas na filíochta.

– Tadhg

These efforts are all milestones in my life, poems about events and important happenings that had an impact on me – efforts to put internal feelings into external words, to express the happiness and sadness that moved my heart, distributing and broadcasting them for celebration and for healing along the ups and downs of my journey. The approach is not so different from Wordsworth’s understanding that the action of composing and writing in itself is a recapturing of feelings; or that of T.S. Eliot who believed that poems are objective correlative and that they give lift us up and put our hearts at ease – if that comparison can be made based on methodology rather than merit!

In the event that a reader sees a reflection of their own life in this personal confession and that it gives them enjoyment, it would give me great pleasure to have managed to link the ‘me inside’ with the outside community, in the hopes that the connection will benefit us all.

– Tadhg