Lyr Req: Winter-Piece (Charles Tomlinson)

Subject: Find that poem?
From: Sarah the flute
Date: 04 Sep 02 - 04:03 PM

OK it's not exactly a lyric request .... more of a work request but I am appealing to all those poetic mudcatters and information workers out there... I have faith... mudcat hasn't let me down so far.

I'm looking for a poem about winter (don't know author or title) but it has the lines

"five barred fragility" and "sets flying fifteen rooks" in it.

My gut feeling is it's probably 20th century but I may be wrong. I also wondered if it's Sylvia Plath or Ted Hughes but can't find anything.

I'll earn lots of gold stars if I crack this one so thanks in advance everyone. I know someone out there will provide the answer

Sarah

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Find that poem?
From: Sarah the flute
Date: 05 Sep 02 - 03:29 AM

Just thought I'd refresh this as it's slipping down the list.

Subject: Lyr Add: WEATHERS (Thomas Hardy)
From: GUEST,The Fantum
Date: 05 Sep 02 - 06:17 PM

Sarah,

This is not quite the lines you gave but it's not bad for a match. A poem by Thomas Hardy. If it's the right one, can you let me know? I am indebted to my daughter and a doctor of English in Durham University, if it's the right one; but if it's the wrong one, it's my poor literary knowledge.
It's a good poem too.

Regards

WEATHERS
(Thomas Hardy)

This is the weather the cuckoo likes,
    And so do I;
When showers betumble the chestnut spikes,
    And nestlings fly;
And the little brown nightingale bills his best,
And they sit outside at 'The Traveller's Rest,'
And maids come forth sprig-muslin drest,
And citizens dream of the south and west,
    And so do I.

(II)

This is the weather the shepherd shuns,
    And so do I;
When beeches drip in browns and duns,
    And thresh and ply;
And hill-hid tides throb, throe on throe,
And meadow rivulets overflow,
And drops on gate bars hang in a row,
And rooks in families homeward go,
    And so do I.

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 9-Sep-02.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Find that poem?
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Sep 02 - 06:20 PM

You might try a search HERE as you can search a myriad of ways and the library is extensive. Good luck!

kat

Subject: Lyr Add: WEATHERS (Thomas Hardy)
From: GUEST,The Fantum
Date: 05 Sep 02 - 06:25 PM

WEATHERS
(Thomas Hardy)

This is the weather the cuckoo likes,
And so do I;
When showers betumble the chestnut spikes,
And nestlings fly;
And the little brown nightingale bills his best
And they sit outside at 'The Traveller's Rest,'
And maids come forth sprig-muslin drest,
And citizens dream of the south and west,
And so do I.

(II)

This is the weather the shepherd shuns,
And so do I;
When beeches drip in browns and duns,
And thresh and ply;
And hill-hid tides throb, throe on throe,
And meadow rivulets overflow,
And drops on gate bars hang in a row,
And rooks in families homeward go,
And so do I.

-- Thomas Hardy

Might read better now

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Find that poem?
From: Sarah the flute
Date: 06 Sep 02 - 03:37 AM

Close match but sadly not the right one and no luck on the database blue clicky either. Fantum does your daughter have access to Chadwyk Healey's Poetry Archive at Durham by any chance and if so is there any chance of her doing a search on the lines? One of our English department wants to use it for poetry analysis but he has forgotten both the author and the title.... and it appears most of the poem!!!

Thanks for the help so far

Sarah

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Find that poem?
From: Sarah the flute
Date: 07 Sep 02 - 03:44 AM

Still searching ...... anyone out there???????

Subject: Lyr Add: WINTER-PIECE (Charles Tomlinson)
From: Greyeyes
Date: 20 Jul 04 - 08:26 AM

It's probably much too late, but for what it's worth:

Winter-Piece
(Charles Tomlinson)
You wake, all windows blind - embattled sprays
grained on the medieval glass.
Gates snap like gunshot
as you handle them. Five-barred fragility
sets flying fifteen rooks who go together
silently ravenous above this winter-piece
that will not feed them. They alight
beyond, scavenging, missing everything
but the bladed atmosphere, the white resistance.
Ruts with iron flanges track
through a hard decay
where you discern once more
oak-leaf by hawthorn, for the frost
rewhets their edges. In a perfect web
blanched along each spoke
and circle of its woven wheel,
the spider hangs, grasp unbroken
and death-masked in cold. Returning
you see the house glint-out behind
its holed and ragged glaze,
frost-fronds all streaming.

Found
here

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Find that poem?
From: Jeanie
Date: 20 Jul 04 - 10:03 AM

That's wonderful, Greyeyes ! As someone who became involved in the search for the poem on Sarah's spin-off thread to this one ( titled: "Calling All Librarians and Poets"), thank you very, very much. This is indeed the poem I remembered reading at school - I had remembered the "gunshot" reference and the picture the poem evoked had stayed in my mind over 30 years, but I couldn't remember the poet.

I hope Sarah's work colleague will still be able to make use of this. Wonderful !

- jeanie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Find that poem?
From: GUEST,Dan Calder
Date: 20 Jul 04 - 03:46 PM

THE POETRY OF RECIPROCITY

http://resurgence.gn.apc.org/issues/abbs216.htm