To outsiders it may appear that the world of Northern Ireland since the late 1960s has been one of destruction, of darkness without light. As tragic as the history of this province has been, however, the same period has witnessed an explosion of intense poetic activity of the highest order. Since his founding of the Honest Ulsterman in 1968, James Simmons--poet, musician, critic--has been at the heart of this resurgence of the creative life of Northern Ireland. His work, however, has not been a response to the province's political life, but rather an attempt to account for his own life. In the midst of public turmoil, private lives go on, with their tragedies more deeply felt, their joys calling forth man's need to raise his voice in celebration.

James Simmons was born in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, on 14 February 1933, the Valentine's Day connection appropriate to one who would make his...