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08-03-2011, 01:59 PM
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 3,263
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Adlestrop, Edward Thomas, Frost
This summer, while I was in England, I finally went to Adlestrop, subject of the wonderful poem by Edward Thomas. There's no station now--just an old station bench as a memorial, with the poem inscribed on a little metal plate. Poem and Pic below!
Also check out this interesting recent article about Edward Thomas and Robert Frost that appeared in The Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011...-thomas-poetry
Adlestrop
Edward Thomas
Yes. I remember Adlestrop –
The name, because one afternoon
Of heat the express-train drew up there
Unwontedly. It was late June.
The steam hissed. Someone cleared his throat.
No one left and no one came
On the bare platform. What I saw
Was Adlestrop – only the name
And willows, willow-herb, and grass,
And meadowsweet, and haycocks dry,
No whit less still and lonely fair
Than the high cloudlets in the sky.
And for that minute a blackbird sang
Close by, and round him, mistier,
Farther and farther, all the birds
Of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.
http://www.ablemuse.com/erato/attachment.php?attachmentid=561&stc=1&d=1312397673[/IMG]stc=1&d=1312397673[/IMG]
Last edited by Charlotte Innes; 10-26-2012 at 03:09 PM.
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08-03-2011, 02:25 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Breaux Bridge, LA, USA
Posts: 3,489
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It takes genius to think of rhyming "mistier" with "Gloucestershire."
My other favorite train station poem is by Edward Gorey:
The tourist huddles in the station
While slowly night gives way to dawn.
He finds a certain fascination
In knowing all the trains are gone.
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08-03-2011, 02:44 PM
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Lariat Emeritus
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Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Fargo ND, USA
Posts: 13,816
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It's a great little poem, but it raises the issue of two peoples divided by a common language in its last word, which scans horribly if an American tries to pronounce it phonetically.
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08-03-2011, 02:44 PM
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Administrator
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Middle England
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Hi Charlotte, and a warm welcome to you!
Thank you SO much for posting that very interesting article from The Guardian; I really enjoyed it, being a big Robert Frost fan. (I like Edward Thomas too.)
I don't know if you were aware, but we've had two meetings in England in the last few weeks, in Oxford and Cambridge, of 'Spherians' from the UK, US and Australia. I was lucky enough to be at both venues. What a pity we didn't get a chance to meet when you were over here too (and quite near to where I live!).
That's a lovely pic of you at Adlestrop (Thomas' famous poem featured in my own poem that won the Literary Review 1st prize this time last year, btw.)
I look forward to seeing some of your work here in a while
Last edited by Jayne Osborn; 08-03-2011 at 02:51 PM.
Reason: Misspelt 'Adlestrop'. Shame on me.
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08-03-2011, 02:48 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Middle England
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Hi Tim,
Are you aware that we pronounce 'Gloucestershire' like 'Gloss- ter-sher'? Does that help you to scan it more easily?
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08-03-2011, 03:32 PM
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 3,263
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Adlestrop and more
Thanks to ALL these great responses. In fact, I am English by birth, originally from Derbyshire (as in DAH-bi-sher). And yes, "mistier" DOES rhyme with "Gloucestershire." I had to learn this poem when I was 13, as I recall, so it's very much in my head as a spoken poem.
Jayne, I will have to track down your poem--unless you can quickly send it to me. And yes, I JUST found out about these meetings (from seeing the lovely pictures posted). Horrible coincidence--I was in England, and I COULD have made the Oxford one. In fact, I was planning to be in Oxford on that day, believe it or not, then canceled because of visiting overload--but would have made the effort for poets! I'm so sorry I missed it. (I know Gregory and Dave well.) However, I come to England every summer, so let's make the effort to meet next year!
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08-03-2011, 03:51 PM
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Administrator
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Middle England
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Oh Charlotte, what a shame about the meeting in Oxford; it would have been lovely to see you there! But yes, next year...
If you put this into 'Search': Literary Review (LitRev) Comp results August - you'll find the thread with my poem in it.
(And Tim, if you're looking in, an American once asked someone the way to "Loo-ga-Ba-Roo-ga", which is actually spelt 'Loughborough' but is pronounced ' Luff-Burra' I remember wondering how 'Zzyzx' was pronounced, on my first trip to California. Strange language, English!)
Last edited by Jayne Osborn; 08-03-2011 at 04:00 PM.
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08-03-2011, 03:57 PM
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 3,263
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LUFF-burra... etc.
Jayne, found your poem! It's beautiful, both heart-wrenching and funny. I've saved it on my desktop. I had a chuckle over Luff-burra too. So yes, next year!
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08-03-2011, 05:40 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Nottingham, England
Posts: 752
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Well I remember my Merry-can of a wife calling in GLAW-cess-ter-SHIRE. Shudder. Now she lives right next to it. I spend a lot of time up near Loughborough, and sometimes people humorously refer to it as 'Loogabrooga' (and Bristol becomes Brizzle, for some reason). I hope you DIDN'T visit Loughborough - though it DOES still have a train station. Not many haycocks, etc, though.
Last edited by Rory Waterman; 08-03-2011 at 05:54 PM.
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08-03-2011, 05:52 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Nottingham, England
Posts: 752
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Zzyzx???? But, er...
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