A portrait of the artist as a young man is the first novel of irish writer james joyce a kunstlerroman written in a modernist style it traces the religious and intellectual awakening of young stephen dedalus joyces fictional alter ego whose surname alludes to daedalus greek mythology s consummate craftsman. A portrait of the artist as a young man is a novel by james joyce that was first published in 1916. A portrait of the artist as a young man poem by james joyceare you not weary of ardent ways lure of the fallen seraphim tell no more of enchanted days. Full title a portrait of the artist as a young man when written 1905 and 1914 where written dublin and trieste when published 1916 literary period modernism genre kunstlerroman a narrative of an artists youth and maturation setting dublin ireland in the late 19th century. A portrait of the artist as a young man is the first novel by james joyce the book was published in 1916 by b w huebsch but the work had been published from 1914 to 1915 as a serial in the english literary magazine the egoist