I am I, I am the poet, the maker, the breaker,
I am the prophet, the madman, the dreamer, the healer,
I am the killer, the killed, the universal panacea
For the broken, the inarticulate, the oppressed, the tortured.
(Verse from The Poet Answers, Robert Greacen)

The above is a fitting tribute to any poet, not least the author, Robert Greacen. Having had the pleasure of interviewing Robert recently, I was able to get an insight into the life of such a prolific artist, now living in the heart of Sandymount.

At the ripe old age of 86, Robert oozes the sensitivity, humbleness and disarming honesty that is encapsulated in his most recently published work ‘Selected & New Poems’ (Salmon Poetry).

Robert’s writing career spans well over sixty years. In 1990, to celebrate his 70th birthday, his peers honoured him with a commemorative volume of poems. In 1995, he was awarded ‘The Irish Times Poetry Prize’ for his ‘Collected Poems’. Robert was also nominated for membership of Aosdána, an association of 220 living artists in Ireland.

In between all the awards and achievements, Robert lived an extraordinary life. Although he was born in Derry on October 24 1920, Robert’s family soon moved around. As a child, he remembers growing up in urban Belfast and rural Monaghan. Obviously, the experience of having lived in such diverse places had an influence on his work.

One of his fondest memories as a child was living in Monaghan. As the only protestant in a catholic-run school, he used to have to go outside at prayer time. Far from feeling alienated, he felt special, which is how the teachers and other pupils treated him. Undoubtedly, this acceptance played a part in Robert’s neutrality towards contentious issues like religion. As a man of peace, Robert believes everybody has the right to live as individuals without being labelled and categorised.

At the tender age of 12, Robert already knew he wanted to be a writer. He was an avid reader and lost himself in ‘Charles Dickens’, ‘David Copperfield’ being among his favourites. Later, he attended the Methodist College in Belfast where he was able to develop his writing talent and move around in literary circles.

Robert pays homage to Ronnie Marshall (English and History lecturer at Methodist) who recognised his literary talent and encouraged him as a writer. After completing his studies in Belfast, he attended Trinity College, Dublin, where he pursued a practical diploma in Social Studies.

Whilst still a student, his writing career flourished and as a result many poems, articles and book reviews were published in magazines like ‘The Bell’ (Dublin) and ‘Horizon’ (London). But love was to flourish also. While at Trinity, he met Patricia Hutchins (a future writer of works about James Joyce).

While their marriage was happy for a time, and enhanced by the birth of their daughter, Arethusa, their relationship later became blighted with personal and cultural differences. Their inevitable break-up was a devastating blow to Robert and, in turn, affected his work. For seventeen years, Robert published nothing but prose.

Robert’s sometimes turbulent childhood is heavily reflected in some of his work. In ‘The Father’, from ‘Selected & New Poems’, he expresses the difficult relationship he had with his father, who was a heavy drinker. Like most artists with difficult childhoods, Robert successfully channelled his anger and frustration through his work, which now enables him to speak of his father in a forgiving tone. As an only child, he was close to his mother and ultimately heartbroken when she died.

Robert was also very close to two of his aunts (whom he lived with for a time). Under their care he got plenty of love and affection. He smiles when he recalls the magic moments he shared with his own daughter, though regrets that time and lack of shared common interest has created a distance between them.

Looking back over his life, Robert always held onto the dream of becoming a famous writer. Money was never a motive. Instead, he longed for the sense of achievement and the recognition of one’s gift. Speaking about the current publishing climate, Robert believes that although it may be easier to get published nowadays, it is much harder to get your work read within a publishing house than before.

I asked him if he’d like to be growing up in today’s world. Without hesitation, he shakes his head. At 86 he’s dogged with brittle bones and a limp, though his eyes still twinkle with warmth and aspiration.

Having seen most of his family and dear friends pass on before him, Robert has had time to reflect on his own mortality. For someone who has lived to see and achieve so much, war and technology will forever remain foreign to him.

“It’s not my world,” he says with a non-judgemental smile.