Great writers, great books 3. Great poem

Edward Thomas (1878 - 1917)
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the last of this little series of posts about great writers, great books I'd like to share with you a poem by Edward Thomas.

An Anglo-welsh writer of prose and poetry. He is commonly regarded as a war poet, although few of his poems are actually about his war experiences. 

Already an accomplished writer, Thomas started writing poetry in 1914,  enlisted in the army in 1915 and, sadly, was killed in action  in 1917.  

I came across his work having visited the battlefields in the Somme earlier this year. I love this evocative poem called Adlestrop - you can see, hear and feel this peaceful encounter with the English countryside at the height of summer.

Yes. I remember Adlestrop -

The name, because one afternoon

Of heat the express-train drew up there

Unwontedly. It was late June.

The steam hissed. Someone cleared his throat.

No one left and no one came

On the bare platform. What I saw

Was Adlestrop -only the name

And willows, willow-herb, and grass,

And meadowsweet, and haycocks dry,

No whit less still and lonely fair

Than the high cloudlets in the sky.

And for that minute a blackbird sang

Close by, and round him, mistier,

Farther and farther, all the birds

Of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.

Beautiful isn't it?  Do you have any favourite poems you would like to share?

If you enjoyed these lovely words you might enjoy my previous two posts sharing descriptions of people and places.