\"Writing.Com
*Magnify*
SPONSORED LINKS
Printed from https://writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/590-Robert-Louis-Stevenson.html
Poetry: September 14, 2005 Issue [#590]

Newsletter Header
Poetry


 This week: Robert Louis Stevenson
  Edited by: Stormy Lady Author IconMail Icon
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  Open in new Window.

Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

This is poetry from the minds and the hearts of poets on Writing.Com. The poems I am going to be exposing throughout this newsletter are ones that I have found to be, very visual, mood setting and uniquely done. Stormy Lady Author Icon


Word from our sponsor

ASIN: 1542722411
Amazon's Price: $ 12.99


Letter from the editor


About The Sheltered Garden Ground
by Robert Louis Stevenson

About the sheltered garden ground
The trees stand strangely still.
The vale ne'er seemed so deep before,
Nor yet so high the hill.

An awful sense of quietness,
A fulness of repose,
Breathes from the dewy garden-lawns,
The silent garden rows.

As the hoof-beats of a troop of horse
Heard far across a plain,
A nearer knowledge of great thoughts
Thrills vaguely through my brain.

I lean my head upon my arm,
My heart's too full to think;
Like the roar of seas, upon my heart
Doth the morning stillness sink.



Thomas and Margaret Isabella Balfour Stevenson welcomed their only son Robert Louis Stevenson into their family on November 13, 1850. The Stevensons lived in Edinburgh. Stevenson was a sick child from the beginning and was diagnosed with tuberculosis as a child. Stevenson was attended to by a nurse named Alison Cunningham for most of his childhood. She read to him all the time and filled his head with morbid stories and Bible stories, and the Psalms. Stevenson's first attempt at writing was retelling Bible stories: "A History of Moses" was then followed by "The Book of Joseph."

In November 1867 Stevenson entered Edinburgh University to study engineering. When Stevenson told his father he no longer want to follow in his footsteps and become and engineer, that he wanted to become a writer, his father insisted he study law. Stevenson changed his major to law and in 1875, he received a law degree he barely used. During his college years Stevenson spent his time learning how to write.

Stevenson devoted himself to his writing once he graduated from Edinburgh University. In 1877 "An Old Song," a short story, was published in the weekly London. 1878, An Inland Voyage was published as an account of his traveling in France. Stevenson moved to California in 1879 to be with Fanny Van de Grift Osbourne, a married woman, ten years his senior. After Fanny Osbourne's divorce the two married on May 19, 1800. After a brief stay at Calistoga, which was recorded in "The Silverado Squatters" in 1883, they returned to Scotland, and then moved often in search of better climates.

"Treasure Island," which appeared in 1883, made Stevenson famous. Other famous works followed over the next four year "Kidnapped" in 1886, "The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde" in 1886 and "The Master Of Ballantrae" in 1889. During this time he also wrote several periodicals, published in The Cornhill Magazine and Longman's Magazine, he well-known article "A Humble Remonstrance" was published in 1884. From 1889 to 1894 Stevenson wrote "The Wrecker" in 1892, and a collaboration with Lloyd Osbourne; "Island Nights' Entertainments" in 1893. Then "The Beach of Falesá," "The Bottle Imp," and "The Isle of Voices"; and The Ebb-Tide all published in 1894.

Stevenson died of a stroke on December 3, 1894, in Vailima, Samoa. At the time of his death Stevenson was at the top of his creative powers. He had two unfinished novels-St. Ives, and Weir of Hermiston. Stevenson also had "Records of a Family of Engineers," which he had gathered information about and started. Stevenson was buried at top of Mt. Vaea.


Fear Not, Dear Friend, But Freely Live Your Days
by Robert Louis Stevenson

Fear not, dear friend, but freely live your days
Though lesser lives should suffer. Such am I,
A lesser life, that what is his of sky
Gladly would give for you, and what of praise.
Step, without trouble, down the sunlit ways.
We that have touched your raiment, are made whole
From all the selfish cankers of man's soul,
And we would see you happy, dear, or die.
Therefore be brave, and therefore, dear, be free;
Try all things resolutely, till the best,
Out of all lesser betters, you shall find;
And we, who have learned greatness from you, we,
Your lovers, with a still, contented mind,
See you well anchored in some port of rest.




I Dreamed Of Forest Alleys fair
by Robert Louis Stevenson

I.

I dreamed of forest alleys fair
And fields of gray-flowered grass,
Where by the yellow summer moon
My Jenny seemed to pass.

I dreamed the yellow summer moon,
Behind a cedar wood,
Lay white on fields of rippling grass
Where I and Jenny stood.

I dreamed - but fallen through my dream,
In a rainy land I lie
Where wan wet morning crowns the hills
Of grim reality.

II.

I am as one that keeps awake
All night in the month of June,
That lies awake in bed to watch
The trees and great white moon.

For memories of love are more
Than the white moon there above,
And dearer than quiet moonshine
Are the thoughts of her I love.

III.

Last night I lingered long without
My last of loves to see.
Alas! the moon-white window-panes
Stared blindly back on me.

To-day I hold her very hand,
Her very waist embrace -
Like clouds across a pool, I read
Her thoughts upon her face.

And yet, as now, through her clear eyes
I seek the inner shrine -
I stoop to read her virgin heart
In doubt if it be mine -

O looking long and fondly thus,
What vision should I see?
No vision, but my own white face
That grins and mimics me.

IV.

Once more upon the same old seat
In the same sunshiny weather,
The elm-trees' shadows at their feet
And foliage move together.

The shadows shift upon the grass,
The dial point creeps on;
The clear sun shines, the loiterers pass,
As then they passed and shone.

But now deep sleep is on my heart,
Deep sleep and perfect rest.
Hope's flutterings now disturb no more
The quiet of my breast.


Requiem
by Robert Louis Stevenson

Under the wide and starry sky
Dig the grave and let me lie.
Glad did I live and gladly die,
And I laid me down with a will.

This be the verse you grave for me;
Here he lies where he longed to be,
Home is the sailor, home from sea,
And the hunter home from the hill.




Thank you all!
Stormy Lady Author Icon
A logo for Poetry Newsletter Editors

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Editor's Picks


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The winner of "Stormy's poetry newsletter & contestOpen in new Window. [ASR] is:



 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#997258 by Not Available.


Did I believe you loved me?
I wished it once or twice
when I caught an eyelash fleeing
and blew it off to want for light.

A happy trails I bid you
no matter wind nor change.
Now you mutter “leave me”
oh, I ignored the rain.

I found myself still wanting
I found myself so lost.
Would I have wished for happiness
had I only known the cost?

Sunshine singing softly.
A kiss to start the wind.
Your eyes had drifted slowly,
I hadn’t had them to begin.

“I don’t feel the way I ought to feel”
Yeah, well neither do I.
What happened to the girl you knew?
She was replaced by one that cries.

Daddy should have warned me
about the hot of day
for every end that I felt coming
ripped the pride I had away.

Last summer I had wished it,
the same wish that I wish now.
For every beginning I left lonely,
I could find some peace somehow



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These are the rules:

1)You must use the words I give in a poem.

2)They can be in any order and anywhere throughout the poem.

3)All entries must be posted in your portfolio and you must post the link in this forum "Stormy's poetry newsletter & contestOpen in new Window. [ASR] by October 8, 2005.

4)The winner will get 3000 gift points and the poem will be displayed in this section of the newsletter the next time it is my turn to post. (October 12, 2005)

The words are:

barking moon broken music racing twinkle unseen black


*Delight* Good luck to all *Delight*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#1005177 by Not Available.

 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#1005993 by Not Available.

 A SUMMER LOVE Open in new Window. (ASR)
Written for Stormy Lady's Newsletter and Poetry Contest
#1000516 by COUNTRYMOM-JUST REMEMBER ME Author IconMail Icon

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#1005322 by Not Available.

 Night Sounds Open in new Window. (E)
Sound in the night
#1005359 by T.L.Finch Author IconMail Icon

 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#1006178 by Not Available.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 The Wilt of the Rose Open in new Window. (E)
A anology of love gone by
#1006533 by darknessfromwithin Author IconMail Icon

 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#1006535 by Not Available.

 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#1003030 by Not Available.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 
Submit an item for consideration in this newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form

Word from Writing.Com

Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
         https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form

Don't forget to support our sponsor!

ASIN: B01CJ2TNQI
Amazon's Price: $ 5.99


Ask & Answer

Submitted By: kelcy21
Submitted Comment:

stormy lady gone I just wanted to say thanks for this letter on poetry it really touched me and its nice to know a lot of poets have deep sorrow I liked the choice of poems you picked to put on here this week so thanks again kel


I find myself lost in emotional poems all the time. I am glad you liked the ones I picked for this newsletter.
Stormy


Submitted By: sharonbythesea
Submitted Comment:

Stormy Lady: I immediately sat down and read the entire newsletter (slow day at work). What a great edition. I always appreciate your hallmark touch on all you do.


Sharon, I am glad you enjoyed them. *Smile* Maybe I should look inot getting paid from hallmark*Wink*
Stormy


Submitted By: Vivian Author Icon
Submitted Comment:

Thank you, Stormy, for covering three of my favorite poets. ~~ Viv


Well Viv, great minds think alike. *Smile*
Stormy

*Bullet* *Bullet* *Bullet* Don't Be Shy! Write Into This Newsletter! *Bullet* *Bullet* *Bullet*

This form allows you to submit an item on Writing.Com and feedback, comments or questions to the Writing.Com Newsletter Editors. In some cases, due to the volume of submissions we receive, please understand that all feedback and submissions may not be responded to or listed in a newsletter. Thank you, in advance, for any feedback you can provide!
Writing.Com Item ID To Highlight (Optional):

Send a comment or question to the editor!
Limited to 2,500 characters.
Word from our sponsor

Removal Instructions

To stop receiving this newsletter, click here for your newsletter subscription list. Simply uncheck the box next to any newsletter(s) you wish to cancel and then click to "Submit Changes". You can edit your subscriptions at any time.


Printed from https://writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/590-Robert-Louis-Stevenson.html