Record Number: 21860

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'I remembered once, years before, when I was a child of thirteen, listening in half-fascinated terror to a mistress at St. Monica's reading "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came":'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

Between 29 Dec 1906 and 28 Dec 1907

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Kingswood
county: Surrey
specific address: St Monica's School

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary reactive unknown
single serial unknown

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Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Listener:

Vera Brittain

Age:

Child (0-17)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

29 Dec 1893

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

writer

Religion:

unknown

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Robert Browning

Title:

Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came

Genre:

Poetry

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

21860

Source:

Print

Author:

Vera Brittain

Editor:

n/a

Title:

Testament of Youth

Place of Publication:

Great Britain

Date of Publication:

1978

Vol:

n/a

Page:

408

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Vera Brittain, Testament of Youth, (Great Britain, 1978), p. 408, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=21860, accessed: 01 May 2024

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Additional Comments:

Vera Brittain was reminded of this reading experience when, during her nursing career in France in 1918, she was spending a day off duty with her friend Hope Milroy. They were lost amongst sandhills near Camiers, within sight of a deserted watchtower. She goes on to quote some lines from the poem.