As the Book Group's first departure from the novel or short stories, here is some poetry.
When I suggested we might read A. E. Housman's A Shropshire Lad, there was a gentle susurration of approval, so I've gone for it. The edition I've got is from Penguin's English Journeys series
First published in 1896, "this magical and poignant evocation of coming of age in the countryside describes lovers in secluded lanes, cricket and church bells, cherry trees hung with 'snow' and woods full of bluebells. Yet ... the fields and hills are also places of loss and sorrow, where men die young or are sent away to fight in foreign wars. Aching with longing for a vanished world, these exquisite verses are a meditation on the fleeting nature of love, youth and happiness."
I wonder just how many famous lines we're going to find in this pocket-sized book - from the "blue-remembered hills" to "on Wenlock Edge the wood's in trouble...", many of them familiar as references in other works (scroll down on this page to discover them).
Despite its apparent richness, it's a short collection so shouldn't be too taxing to read over the next few weeks. We're doing Elizabeth Jenkins' The Tortoise and the Hare (the introductory post is here) on September 26th., so let's come back to talk about A Shropshire Lad on 24th. October, and as always, everyone is welcome to join in.
