The actor Russell Crowe has stated that he is a fan of Kavanagh . He commented : " I like the clarity and the emotiveness of Kavanagh . I like how he combines the kind of mystic into really clear , evocative work that can make you glad you are alive " . On 24 February 2002 , after winning the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in '' A Beautiful Mind '' , Crowe quoted Kavanagh during his acceptance speech at the 55th British Academy Film Awards . When he became aware that the Kavanagh quote had been cut from the final broadcast , Crowe became aggressive with the BBC producer responsible , Malcolm Gerrie . He said : " it was about a one minute fifty speech but they 've cut a minute out of it " . The poem that was cut was a four-line poem : 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 . When the '' Irish Times '' compiled a list of favourite Irish poems in 2000 , ten of Kavanagh 's poems were in the top 50 , and he was rated the second favourite poet behind W. B. Yeats . Kavanagh 's poem " On Raglan Road " , set to the traditional air " Fáinne Geal an Lae " , composed by Thomas Connellan in the 17th century , has been performed by numerous artists as diverse as Van Morrison , Luke Kelly , Dire Straits , Billy Bragg , Sinéad O'Connor , Joan Osborne and many others
55th British Academy Film Awards
55th British Academy Film Awards
Patrick Kavanagh