Record Number: 27792

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Only recently I discovered its origin in Longfellow's "New England Tragedies", read and re-read during my childhood when Longfellow and Matthew Arnold were the only poets in the parental library.'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

Between 29 Dec 1893 and 31 Dec 1913

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

n/a

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:

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:

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Title:

New England Tragedies

Genre:

Poetry

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

n/a

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Source Information:

Record ID:

27792

Source:

Print

Author:

Vera Brittain

Editor:

n/a

Title:

Testament of Experience

Place of Publication:

Great Britain

Date of Publication:

1980

Vol:

n/a

Page:

114

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Vera Brittain, Testament of Experience, (Great Britain, 1980), p. 114, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=27792, accessed: 26 April 2025

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Additional Comments:

Vera Brittain had a "reminiscent feeling which puzzled me" about a visit in the 1930s to New England in autumn, although she had never been there before at that time of year, and later realised that it stemmed from reading these poems in her childhood.