Read Higgin’s poem: "When Will My Time Come"

A Guardian critic has slammed Ireland’s new President, describing his poetry as “strikingly poor” and inferring it is “mad-dog-shite”.

Carol Rumens, a professor in creative writing at the University of Wales, Bangor and a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, expressed wonder in her Guardian column on Tuesday at how Higgins is considered a poet.

------------------
Read More:
Higgins takes hundred thousand dollar pay cut before he assumes office

Why Micheal D.Higgins will stand apart as Irish president

Galway welcomes new president Michael D Higgins home and a proper scare at Halloween
------------------

“Not only does Higgins not know when a poem is made, it's almost sacrilegious to mention him alongside Irish poets who actually do make decent poems,” she states.

Speaking about his poem ‘When will my time come’, Rumens admits she likes the opening line before adding “It's the rest of the poem that's the problem”.

She goes on to describe the poem as awkward and it’s metaphors as weak.

“The four lines about the journey of the Hero see the driver of this poetic vehicle overturned in a ditch, wheels spinning. They are meant to conjure the pathos and loneliness of aging. If only.”

Using a phrase used by Michael Longley to describe rubbish poetry, she concludes “When Will My Time Come" effortlessly slips into the category of “mad-dog-shite”.

Michael D Higgins was officially declared Ireland’s ninth president last Saturday with almost 57-percent of the votes. The 70-year-old is a former Galway University lecturer and published poet.

Here's a clip of Michael D Higgins reading some of his poetry at the Galway Races: