Poor James Clarence Mangan

With rich people he never did wine and dine
On his forty sixth year he died in Dublin in eighteen forty nine
It is said of consumption and in dire poverty
That he was Ireland's greatest poet some would agree

In his lifetime poor James Clarence Mangan was not widely known
But in death in literary circles his legend has grown
His best poems are read and recited today
That he was a genius in truth one can say

Few happy days in life by him were seen
The poet of A Vision Of Connacht, A Woman Of Three Cows and Dark Rosaleen
The leading poet of the Ireland of his time
He died rather young in his poetic prime

In his lifetime a stranger to wealth and to fame
But his today is a great literary name
A poor man who knew only of hard times and died rather young
And surely his praises deserve to be sung

One who deserves to be remembered as a great Irish poet
James Clarence Mangan his life to poetry did devote
And though he breathed his last in his poetic prime
His poems have outlived him by one hundred and sixty eight years of time.