dublinka

It is not widely known, even in Ireland, that when Russell Crow had a poem cut at the 2002 BAFTAs, that the short poem in question, Sanctity, belonged to Patrick Kavanagh.




To be a poet and not know the trade
To be a lover and repel all women
Twin ironies by which great saints are made
The agonising pincer-jaws of Heaven


As you'll notice, the poem is very short. And it's deletion from the broadcast, apparently had nothing to do with an abhorrence of poetry itself, but rather it seemed the easiest, and most logical way for TV producers, to snip a few seconds from a long speech. Nonetheless, Russell, who composes poetry himself, was right to feel aggrieved for having these particular lines cut: Sanctity, is the quality or condition of being considered sacred or inviolable.