Today in our poetry news roundup we take a look at the
poet’s Lent sacrifice, the Dylan Thomas poem that has been misused and the lost
Dickens portrait that will shortly be going on display in the Dickens Museum.
What the Poet Gave up for Lent
The poet Gerard
Manley Hopkins was born into a family of devout High Church Anglican Christians.
Even as a young boy his commitment to his faith was evident, he would read daily
from the Bible, and his father taught Sunday school.
It wasn’t however until the poet went to Oxford that his interest
in all things religious increased. Through his studies, he became acutely aware
of the role of religion in the arts. It was also here that he met Christina
Rosetti, the sister of Dante
Gabriel Rosetti, with whom he shared a belief that religion was more important
than art.
In 1866 Hopkins turned to Catholicism and entered religious life,
he also burnt most of the poems he had ever written. For the Lenten season of
1866, he gave up poetry completely.
Dylan Thomas Poem Misused
“Do not go gentle into that good night” probably the most famous
poem penned by the Welsh poet Dylan
Thomas found itself catapulted into the spotlight over the weekend when
it was cited by the Christchurch shooter in his manifesto. Thomas’s poem has
been quoted in many different contexts over the years – but one thing that the
poet never had in mind when he wrote it was killings.
The opening line of the poem, which is repeated at intervals, and
the frequent use of the word “rage” might give the idea that the poet is
calling for combat, but the poem was written about his father who was dying, it
talks about the loss of his health and begs him to cling to life.
The poem was written in 1947 when the poet was facing problems of
his own, he was in an unhappy marriage, struggling with poverty and alcoholism.
“Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” is still under
copyright, but it is frequently quoted in pop culture and has appeared in its
complete version on several websites. It was also recited several times in the
2014 film “Interstellar” by the character portrayed by Michael Caine.
Lost Portrait to go on Display in Writer’s Former Home
We brought you a story recently about a portrait of the author Charles Dickens that had been
found in a general auction of household good in South Africa having been lost
for 130 years. Now the picture is to go on display in the writer’s former home
this April.
The painting which was created by Margaret Gillies will be displayed in
the property where Dickens wrote Nichola Nickleby and Oliver Twist, now the
Charles Dickens Museum, from 2nd to 7th April.
The property, a townhouse in Bloomsbury, was home to Dickens and his
young family from 1837. It currently houses the largest and most comprehensive
selection of memorabilia about the life and works of the poet anywhere in the
world.
The Museum is fundraising now in order to purchase the painting and give
it a permanent home. They have already raised £65,000, but they need to find £180,000.
