HO4078 POEMS ON CHRISTMAS IN WARTIME- 12/08/04 - HARDY FORUM ARCHIVES
From: ?ulin@exchange.upb.pitt.edu
Subject: Poems on Christmas in Wartime
Date: December 8, 2004 1:05:39 PM PST
Hello,
I am a lurker on HARDY-L and an occasional contributor to the
Poem-of-the-Month discussion on the Hardy website. I teach English at
the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford and every year do a Christmas
reading of some sort on the local AM radio station. Of course Hardy
prose and poetry have both has been a part of that in the past. This
year I am going to do a series of poems on Christmas in wartime,
including Hardy's "Christmas Ghost Story." But I wondered if this
wonderfully inventive and knowledgeable group (I have loved the
limericks) might have any other suggestions -- Hardyan or otherwise. It
seems that there was one great WWI poem about soldiers coming out on
Christmas to greet each other and then returning the next day to the
slaughter, but I can't find it. (It remains to be seen what my
conservative little town and conservative little radio station will
think of this idea!)
Thanks,
Don Ulin
Assoc. Professor of English
University of Pittsburgh, Bradford
300 Campus Drive
Bradford, PA 16701
814-362-0243 / 814-368-3440 (H) / 814-362-5094 (FAX)
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From: wwmorgan@ilstu.edu
Subject: Re: Poems on Christmas in Wartime
Date: December 8, 2004 1:42:06 PM PST
Hi, Don--
First, thanks for your postings at the Poem of the Month site--always smart and interesting.
Now, to the project at hand: here are three more Hardy poems to look at: "Christmas in the Elgin Room," "Yuletide in a Younger World," and "Winter Night in Woodland." I suspect that the second one, "Yuletide in a Younger World" would be most appropriate.
Good luck.
best,
Bill Morgan
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From: wwmorgan@ilstu.edu
Subject: Re: Poems on Christmas in Wartime
Date: December 8, 2004 3:50:57 PM PST
To: HARDY-L@csusm.edu
Reply-To: HARDY-L@csusm.edu
Dear Don Ulin (and others)--
By chance, as I was searching the ebay offerings tonight, I found the following on offer:
Thomas Hardy's Christmas, compiled by John Chandler (Sutton, 1997). Contains some of Hardy's best known stories and poems, personal memorabilia and contemporary illustrations. The poems and novels of Thomas Hardy evoke not only joyful reunions, but also describe curious rituals, pagan superstitions and nostalgia for a simpler, happier past. Hardy portrayed Christmas repeatedly in his work not only as the season for dancing, carousing and music, but also as a time charged with ghosts and strange beliefs. This anthology presents well-known Christmas and New Year scenes?the Mellstock choir, the mummers and the darling thrush?alongside less familiar accounts, and a largely forgotten Christmas story involving highway robbers and a cupboard full of snuff which Hardy wrote for a children's annual early in his career. Readers will also learn how to charm a bull. Hardy's own words are complemented by those of his contemporaries, such as the Dorset dialect poet William Barnes and the nature writer W.H. Hudson, plus excerpts from diaries, newspapers and letters, ranging from a contemporary Christmas toast to a Wessex mummer's play. Soft, 152 pp., sources, illustrations. New book
Yes, the auction listing does say "the darling thrush"; that's not my typo.
The book, which I've never encountered before, can be seen (and possibly bid on?) at:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=378&item=4509062202&rd=1
The opening bid asked is $8.00; you can buy the book outright for $11.99 plus shipping.
I'll stop now, lest I violate Forum rules against commercial activity!
best,
Bill
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From: Charles.Anesi@wellsfargo.com
Subject: RE: Poems on Christmas in Wartime
Date: December 8, 2004 5:33:01 PM PST
Giving this book is a great way to introduce someone to Hardy. Available from abe.com, amazon.com, or new for $5.49 from http://www.bookcloseouts.com
Chuck Anesi
Charles.Anesi@wellsfargo.com
office 480-575-3478
cell 612-940-3345
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From: Rosemarie.morgan@yale.edu
Subject: Re: Poems on Christmas in Wartime
Date: December 8, 2004 5:52:08 PM PST
Hi folks -- just a note of caution. I've had *Thomas Hardy's Christmas * for some years now and it's delightful.
But it is a slender paperback (152 pp) -- the description below makes it sound very grand -- containing many slight jingles as well as some poems by Hardy and Barnes. The prose extracts are from UGT and snippets are written by Ralph Wightman, Mary Frampton, M. E Francis, Francis Kilvert, W H Hudson, among some. It is a charming book with delightful illustrations but it isn't quite the culturally historic tome that the publisher's blurb makes it out to be.
So -- I would caution anyone against rushing out to bid for this book on Ebay with signficant money. I am sorry to say the cheap binding on my copy has already fallen apart.
But, if you want "The Thieves Who Couldn't Stop Sneezing" -- 'ere 'tis!
I'd say it is worth every penny of $11.99 -- but do lower your expectations just a fraction!
Cheers
Rosemarie
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From: Charles.Anesi@wellsfargo.com
Subject: RE: Poems on Christmas in Wartime
Date: December 8, 2004 6:08:21 PM PST
Rosemarie is right -- it is a slender volume and will probably contain
nothing new to anyone in this news group. But it can create an interest in
Hardy in someone who is not already a devotee. Much better at doing this
than, say, a copy of Return of the Native.
Chuck Anesi
Charles.Anesi@wellsfargo.com
office 480-575-3478
cell 612-940-3345
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From: michael@perceptivecreation.co.uk
Subject: Re: Poems on Christmas in Wartime
Date: December 8, 2004 6:23:22 PM PST
Hi - you might look out for "Christmas - A Celebration" by John Rhodes
(Faber & Faber 1986). I've used it as the basis of a popular, recurring
two-man theatre show of readings "Christmas Through the Ages".
Hardy-wise it includes "The Oxen" and a chunk of "Under the Greenwood Tree".
It also has "From Mons to Ypres with French" by Frederic Coleman (your WW1
event - but not a poem), as well as "Christmas Day in the Workhouse" and
loads of other goodies.
Best wishes
Michael Barry
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From: dbennett62@comcast.net
Subject: Re: Poems on Christmas in Wartime
Date: December 9, 2004 11:47:09 AM PST
This is a link for McCutcheon's "Christmas in the Trenches."
The song can be downloaded from itunes and other services
http://www.worldwar1.com/sfcitt.htm
Cheers!
Dave Bennett
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