Record Number: 32955

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

‘We are on a long march and I’m writing this on the chance of getting it off; so you should know I received your papers and also your letter … The Poetry Review you sent is good—the articles are too breathless, and want more packing, I think. The poems by the soldier are vigorous but, I feel a bit commonplace. I did not like Rupert Brooke’s begloried sonnets for the same reason. What I mean is second hand phrases “lambent fires” etc takes from its reality and strength. It should be approached in a colder way, more abstract, with less of the million feelings everybody feels … Walt Whitman in “Beat, drums, beat”, has said the noblest thing on war.’

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

Between 1 Apr 1915 and 30 Jun 1916

Country:

France

Time

n/a

Place:

city
county: Somme
other location: trenches

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:

Isaac Rosenberg

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

25 Nov 1890

Socio-Economic Group:

Clerk / tradesman / artisan / smallholder

Occupation:

Private, 11th Battalion, Kings Own Royal Lancasters Regiment

Religion:

Jewish

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

France

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

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Rupert Brooke

Title:

"1914." Five Sonnets

Genre:

Poetry

Form of Text:

Print: Book, Newspaper, Serial / periodical

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

32955

Source:

Print

Author:

Isaac Rosenberg

Editor:

Ian Parsons

Title:

The Collected Works of Isaac Rosenberg: Poetry, Prose, Letters, Paintings and Drawings

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1984

Vol:

n/a

Page:

237

Additional Comments:

Letter to Mrs Cohen, c. June 1916 trenches in Somme area

Citation:

Isaac Rosenberg, Ian Parsons (ed.), The Collected Works of Isaac Rosenberg: Poetry, Prose, Letters, Paintings and Drawings, (London, 1984), p. 237, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=32955, accessed: 23 April 2024

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Additional Comments:

The date range is speculative, as is the format of text in which Brooke's sonnets were read.