Louis MacNeice

Louis MacNeice was born in 1907 in Belfast, Ireland, the son of a Protestant bishop. He studied at Oxford and taught classical subjects at the University of Birmingham. During the 1930s, his name became associated with Auden and Spender in the context of politically and socially "committed" poetry. In reality, MacNeice did not feel bound to any faction, and his poetry remained lyrical and genuinely humanistic. "Even if a writer leans politically in a certain direction," he wrote, "he should not cease to exercise his critical ability." His first "Poems" were published in 1935, and as a collection in 1949. From 1941, he was part of the BBC staff and wrote many high-quality works for radio. His work was distinguished by fluency of expression, a distinct sharpness, and a lively interest in words, rhyme, and rhythm. He died in London in 1963.