
In these early verses the poet bursts forth with a bright, almost tactile enthusiasm for the world around him. Simple moments—white plates, gleaming cups, a South Sea lagoon—are rendered in a cascade of fresh images that feel like tasting a sweet treat. His language is vivid and immediate, turning ordinary sensations into miniature celebrations of youth and wonder. Listeners will hear a mind that catalogues delight with the eager curiosity of a first lover.
Beneath the bright surface runs a quieter preoccupation with time and mortality, hinted at through references to ancient poets and the fleeting nature of beauty. The collection balances his exuberant observations with a reflective undercurrent, as he measures the moment against the vast sky and the inevitable tide of change. This early work offers a glimpse of a talent that is both sensually immediate and intellectually probing, inviting listeners to taste the world while feeling its deeper currents.
Language
en
Duration
~2 hours (147K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by A. Light, Linda Bowser, Rick Niles, and David Widger
Release date
1995-05-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1887–1915
Best known for the wartime sonnet "The Soldier," this English poet wrote with a mix of youthful idealism, lyrical beauty, and quiet melancholy. His life was brief, but his poems helped define how many readers imagined the early years of the First World War.
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