Victorian London Poems

[Caroline]

I've been reading a book by Christopher Fowler-a fictional detective story based on Londons underground rivers and stumbled across this:-

http://www.victorianlondon.org/publi...aux1_small.gif

Vauxhall Gardens

(1661-1859)

THE ADIEU TO THE SPRING GARDENS AT VAUXHALL

THE sun now darts fainter his ray,
The meadows no longer invite:
The wood-nymphs are all tript away,
No verdure cheers sweetly the sight.
The adieu to the pastoral scene,
Where harmony charm'd with her call;
Where pleasure presided as queen,
In the echoing shades of Vaux-hall.

Such transports a soul ne'er enjoy'd,
When wafted to th' Elysian plains,
As those which my senses employ'd
Convey'd to Vaux-Hall by the Thames.
Such splendors illumin'd the grove;
My ears drank such rapturous sound;
I seem'd in inchantment to rove,
And deities gliding around.

How sweet twas to sit in the maze,
Amid the bright choirs of the fair!
Their glances diffus'd such a blaze,
I thought beauty's goddess was there;
Not Venus, whose smiles breed alarms,
And with vain allurements destroy;
But beauty, whose bashfulness charms,
And which, when possess'd, gives true joy.

The maid to whom honour is dear,
Uncensur'd might take off her glass;
And stray among beaux without fear,
No snake lurking there in the grass.
In blissful Arcadia of old,
Where mirth, wit, and innocence join'd,
The swains thus discreetly were bold,
The nymphs were thus prudently kind.

Old winter with icicles spread,
Will soon all his horrors resume;
Those past, spring must lift her fair head,
And nature exult in fresh bloom.
Thy bowers,O Vaux-Hall then shall rise,
In all the gay pride of the field;
Thy musick, shall sweetly surprize;
To thee fam'd Elysium shall yield.

[Catchabula]

Thanks for the poem, Caroline. It leaves me with one big question: can the creative writing section also be used to publish and discuss the poems of others? That would be ok with me. I have a huge amount of poems here that are not by me but that I would like to show and discuss anyway. Unless.. you wrote it yourself indeed! I would be ashamed of myself for the rest of my life for supposing you couldn't make a thing like this, while you did.

[Caroline]

Lol, no I didn't write this, I wish I had. Yes I've just been checking with a moderator about the rules of posting as I realised after I'd posted it that this secton is for members creations and not others. Didn't you post a poem before by someone else Catch? I dont remember, anyway sorry for breaking the rules I wont do it again. It's such a lovely poem and a reflection of Victorian times that I felt I had to share it, oops!

[urangutan]

I have heard the "Elysian Plains", term before. I cannot place it or find it in an Atlas. I am sure it is a place, whether I have heard it in reference to some medeival scipture or something, which makes me wonder whether the writer, who you did not disclose was perhaps a soldier of some sort away from England. I think we could convince the moderators to open a poetry section, in light of the fact that revealing insight can be gathered by the discussion of scipture during certain dynasties.

I could associate a great many song writers lyrics, which is a form of poetry to the turbulance during the revolution of the sixties. I am sure DeBugged, could explain the same from the riffs of Jimi Hendrix. Poetry is and was a voice during much of our history. Sometimes comments are obvious sometimes they are subtle and cunning but they are leading in their explanation of mindset during their time. Which is philosophy in its essence.

[Caroline]

The Elysian plains or the Elysian fields is the final resting place of the souls of the heroic and the virtuous. In Greek mythology it is the section of the Underworld.
(According to Wikipedia).
I've mentioned about posting other peoples works to Theaetetes the moderator.
I dont know who the writer is as it did not say, it is from a collection of poems from that era. I was reading and came across the phrase, "Those green retreats where fair Vauxhall bedecks her slyvan seats", and googled it and stumbled across the above peom.
I think it would be a good idea to maybe have a section where members can post poems by other people and I agree with urangutang in that we could gain some insight through discussion.

[Catchabula]

I definitely believe we should create a "Social Group" on poetry now, it can be done with at least five members having the intention. But I simply wouldn't know how to proceed from here. If this isn't answered here by a moderator I will write to one. I believe a Social Group on Poetry would be alive and valuable.

[Caroline]

Yes count me in please, thanks. Or somewhere where we can discuss it.

[Holiday20310401]

Originally Posted by Catchabula

I definitely believe we should create a "Social Group" on poetry now, it can be done with at least five members having the intention. But I simply wouldn't know how to proceed from here. If this isn't answered here by a moderator I will write to one. I believe a Social Group on Poetry would be alive and valuable.

I know I would join this group, interested in discussing Eliot's poetry.

[jgweed]

As a learning experience for me in setting up a group, I have created a Social Group for poetry discussion: Thanatopsis Literary and Inside Straight Club.
While I will "maintain" it, it is out there for anyone interested to join and to be used for whatever purpose you decide you want. Invites sent.
John "Dover Beach" Weed

[jgweed]

By the way, we need one more Member (to total 5)to activate the Group, so if anyone would join, whether you intend to participate it in or not, you could help the other Members out.
John