kavanagh's first collection, "ploughman and other poems", was published in 1936. it is notable for its realistic portrayal of irish country life, free of the romantic sentiment often seen at the time in rural poems, a trait he abhorred. published by macmillan in its series on new poets, the book expressed a commitment to colloquial speech and the unvarnished lives of real people, which made him unpopular with the literary establishment. two years after his first collection was published he had yet to make a significant impression. the "times literary supplement" described him as "a young irish poet of promise rather than of achievement," and "the spectator" commented that, "like other poets admired by a.e., he writes much better prose than poetry. mr kavanagh's lyrics are for the most part slight and conventional, easily enjoyed but almost as easily forgotten."