Thursday, April 04, 2013

Rupert Chawner Brooke

Rupert Chawner Brooke

Years ago I was gifted a wonderful book, "Stillmeadow Daybreak," written by Gladys Taber.  The inscription inside the book simply says: To Mommy From Adam.
 
Even when my children were young they knew I loved poetry and essays. I still love this book. Thank you Adam.
 
As I was glancing through it this morning I found a short excerpt from one of Brooke's poems. Apparently Gladys had access to one of his notebooks. Here is the poem:
 
 
All things are written in the mind
There the sure hills have station; and the wind
Blows in the placeless air.
And there the white and golden birds go flying;
And the stars wheel and shine, and woods are fair.
 
 
Rupert Chawner Brooke
 
 
I did not have knowledge of this poet until I came across this piece in my morning studio so here are a few facts I have found. I think he might become my new favorite poet!
 
Brooke was born in England in 1887. W.B. Yeats called him "the handsomest young man in England." It was also said that he went skinny dipping in a moonlit pool in Cambridge with Virginia Woolf.
 
He died in 1915 as a result of a mosquito bite while traveling. He was known most of all for his war poems.
 
 
As always, thanks for reading.
 


4 comments:

Larry Durkos said...

Oh to return to my young mind, with wisdom of age saying to me, enjoy skinny dipping with one so fair, life is a gift to enjoy to the depth of the sea.

Robb said...

It's foggy here today in the mountains and we have some ice that should go away soon enough... but your two posts on poems coupled with the fog jumped me to this memory and one of my favorite poems... thank you!


The fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

-Carl Sandberg

Lou Ann Homan said...

Ah yes skinny dipping and foggy cities...both romantic and still attainable!!

Captain Adam said...

You are welcome ma.

Congratulations Trine!!

  My first glimpse of our monument decked in Trine blue took my breath away. I was coming home from the Thursday night game with Aaron and R...