Thomas Moore

Thomas Moore was an Irish poet and songwriter of the Romantic era, best known for his Irish Melodies, which combined lyrical verse with traditional Irish tunes, and for the oriental romance Lalla Rookh. His poetry often explores love, exile, and Irish national identity. Biography ↓More ↓

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Thomas Moore

The Song of Fionnuala

Silent, oh Moyle, be the roar of thy water, Break not, ye breezes, your chain of repose, While, murmuring mournfully, Lir's lonely daughter Tell's to the night-star her tale of woes. When shall the swan, her death-note singing, Sleep, with wings in darkness furl'd? When will heaven, its sweet bell ringing, Call my spirit from this stormy world? Sadly, oh Moyle, to thy winter-wave weeping, Fate bids me languish long ages away; Yet still in her darkness doth Erin lie sleeping, Still doth the pure light its dawning delay. When will that day-star, mildly springing, Warm our isle with peace and love? When will heaven, its sweet bell ringing, Call my spirit to the fields above?

Thomas Moore

Oh! Breathe Not His Name

Oh! breathe not his name, let it sleep in the shade, Where cold and unhonour'd his relics are laid: Sad, silent, and dark, be the tears that we shed, As the night-dew that falls on the grass o'er his head. But the night-dew that falls, though in silence it weeps, Shall brighten with verdure the grave where he sleeps; And the tear that we shed, though in secret it rolls, Shall long keep his memory green in our souls.

Biography

Thomas Moore was an Irish poet, songwriter, and entertainer of the Romantic period. He gained widespread fame for his Irish Melodies, a series of lyrics set to traditional airs that celebrated Irish culture while expressing subtle nationalist sentiments. His oriental romance Lalla Rookh combined lush imagery with tales of love and adventure, achieving immense popularity across Europe. Moore's style is characterized by musicality, emotional directness, and a blending of personal feeling with political longing. His work frequently evokes Irish landscapes and history, employing themes of lost love, exile, and patriotic yearning. A central figure in 19th-century Irish literature, he shaped the country's cultural identity and influenced later nationalist writers. He was also a close friend of Lord Byron and, as his literary executor, famously destroyed Byron's memoirs at the family's request. Moore's legacy endures through his songs, which remain an enduring part of Irish heritage.

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