Samuel Puopolo to Recite Medieval Welsh Poetry at Harvard Art Museums

Samuel Puopolo, a Harvard doctoral student from Boston, will read medieval Welsh poetry at Harvard Art Museums on March 20, sharing his passion for Welsh language and culture.

Samuel at Dafydd ap Gwilym's Grave in Ystrad Fflur

A Welsh speaker from Boston, Massachusetts, Samuel Puopolo will read medieval Welsh poetry at the Harvard Art Museums on March 20.

Samuel Puopolo is a doctoral student in the Celtic Studies department at Harvard University.

He is currently writing a dissertation on the singing of medieval poets to Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales from 1258 to 1282.

Although Samuel has traced his ancestry to Dolbenmaen, it is his love of the sound of the Welsh language that inspired him to learn Welsh.

llyfrau — Disgrifiad o’r llun, Samuel yn llyfrgell Prifysgol Harvard gyda chasgliad o lyfrau ar farddoniaeth Gymraeg o'r Oesoedd Canol

Learning Welsh

"Most of my ancestors come from Italy, so my Welsh identity is weak, but I started learning Welsh through Duolingo and it clicked," Samuel explained.

"I went to Wales for the first time in 2023 and attended a summer course at Aberystwyth University. I visited Cardiff, Haverfordwest, and then the Eisteddfod in Bodedern.

"I was captivated by the people, the sound of the language, and the culture. Everyone spoke Welsh in Aberystwyth, so I learned quickly by living a Welsh-speaking life for a time."

According to Samuel, having the opportunity to converse and practice Welsh in America is challenging, but listening to the Welsh Learning Podcast on , reading novels, and watching Welsh reels on Instagram have been "a great help."

Passion for Medieval Welsh Poetry

Although he longs for another trip to Wales to practice speaking Welsh daily, very few Welsh speakers in Wales claim to understand medieval Welsh.

So which is easier for Samuel: medieval Welsh or modern Welsh?

"Reading the Mabinogion can be easier for me than reading modern Welsh novels," Samuel said.

"But I am glad I learned modern Welsh first. I know some people who studied medieval Welsh before being introduced to modern Welsh!"

Why choose to pursue a doctorate on medieval Welsh poetry?

"I earned my undergraduate degree in Classics; I like Latin and Greek. Every tradition stems from them, but I noticed the Welsh tradition is also unique. The cynghanedd sounds wonderful to the ear.

"Also, medieval Welsh poems do not always have a story; the sound is what matters.

"It is difficult for me to translate the poems to my parents or my partner because the sound is important, not the story. That is why it is a pleasure to read them aloud."

He looks forward to a non-Welsh-speaking audience enjoying the sound of cynghanedd during his readings at the Harvard Art Museums on March 20.

Samuel Lecturing in Poland

The event is part of the exhibition Celtic Art Across the Ages, which runs at the museum until summer. The exhibition aims to explore who the Celts were through a collection of 300 objects.

Samuel will read some of the oldest Welsh poems, including parts of the Gododdin by Aneirin, a lament by Llywarch Hen, the Elegy for Llywelyn ap Gruffudd by Gruffudd ab yr Ynad Coch, The Wind by Dafydd ap Gwilym, and the Elegy for Siôn Eos by Dafydd ab Edmwnd.

How popular is studying medieval Welsh poetry at Harvard University?

"Most students in the Celtic Studies Department focus on Irish, but everyone must learn medieval Welsh.

"The lecturers are not Welsh speakers, so it was great to have Professor Jerry Hunter at Harvard for a time. That was a big help in learning to speak Welsh. We went for dinner to a diner just to talk."

Samuel hopes to give another reading of his favorite contemporary Welsh poems in July.

"I love the poetry of Twm Morys and Mererid Hopwood," he said.

Is moving to Wales to speak Welsh daily a wish for Samuel?

"I would like to study at a university wherever there is a job for me, whether in Wales, the United States, or anywhere, but Welsh has a very important place in my heart. It is so lovely."