Record Number: 30837

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Father saw me off at Naples — I felt most dreadfully sad at saying goodbye to my dear family, but I consoled myself by reading "Ulysses" which is a most beautiful poem and I don't care what the Strongs say! Don't you think it's very good? I'm almost afraid I may be too much carried away by it, but certainly as English verse it seems to me to touch the highest levels.'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

Between 21 Feb 1902 and 24 Feb 1902

Country:

at sea (Eastern Mediterranean)

Time

n/a

Place:

other location: on board the S.S. Congo en route for Haifa, off the coast of S Greece

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

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Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Gertrude Bell

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

16 Jul 1868

Socio-Economic Group:

Gentry

Occupation:

linguist, traveller, student archaeologist (yet to take up formal ocupation as archaeologist and political advisor

Religion:

originally Christian (Anglican) by now declared atheist

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

at sea (Eastern Mediterranean)

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

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Title:

Ulysses

Genre:

Poetry

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

first published 1842

Provenance

n/a

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Source Information:

Record ID:

30837

Source - Manuscript:

Other

Information:

Gertrude Bell Archive, Newcastle University Library http://www.gerty.ncl.ac.uk/

Additional Information:

Letter from Gertrude Bell to Florence Bell 23 February 1902 http://www.gerty.ncl.ac.uk/letter_details.php?letter_id=1285

Citation:

Gertrude Bell Archive, Newcastle University Library http://www.gerty.ncl.ac.uk/ , http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=30837, accessed: 02 May 2024

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Additional Comments:

The context suggests that the text being read was indeed Tennyson's poem, not, for example George Chapman's version of Homer's 'Odyssey' in rhyming couplets.