Sorrows Importunity by Alfred Austin (sound poem) -- guest's work

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Subject: Sorrows Importunity by Alfred Austin (sound poem)

Author:
jim clark london england

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Date Posted: 06:39:21 12/19/03 Fri

Alfred Austin (1835 - 1913 ) was born in Leeds Yorkshire in the north of England the son of a merchant and magistrate he himself was for a short while a barrister leaving the profession to pursue a literary career that led to him being made (many would say undeservedly) poet laureate. One of the more minor poets his placing in the post seems to have been for political rather that literary reasons . He was described by one critic as "The last minstrel of toryism" Austin had been a keen supporter of the tory's in his journalstic work, his work has often been considered uninspired and he became a regular figure of ridicule in the satyrical magazine punch Seen as lowering the prestige of the position of poet laureate his standing in poetry's history hasnt been good. Even his autobiography of 1911 was to bring him further ridicule as he was accused of over glorification of his family history and indulging in gossip about people he had known.

Surprisingly given how history records Alfred Austins story he was as capable of producing memorable poems and the elegantly phrased"Sorrows Importunity" unforgetably alludes to a position in life where one might resign to the inevitability of lifes inhrerent sadness until sorrow becomes an almost constant companion...Here is the link to the page where you can listen online to this classic poem set to music.

http://groups.msn.com/acousticmusiciansandpoetssoundarchive/poetrysounds.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&ID_Message=505

Regards

Jim Clark
PS..Dont forget you can if you prefer listen to my sound poems at my Yahoo "sound poetry" web groups (look in "files") heres that link..
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bloozman_uk/
You can listen to this particular poem in my second yahoo "Soundpoemz" sound poetry group heres that link..
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/soundpoemz/

All rights are reserved on this sound recording copyright/patent Jim Clark 2003

Sorrows Importunity

When sorrow first came wailing to my door
April rehearsed the madrigal of May
And as I ne'er had seen her face before
Kept on singing and she went away

When next came sorrow
Life was winged with scent
Of glistening laurel and full blossoming bay
I asked but understood not what she meant
Offered her flowers and she went away.

When yet a third time sorrow came
We met in the ripe silence of an autumn day
I gave her fruit and she ate
Then seemed to go unwillingly away.

When last came sorrow around barn and byre
Wind carven snow the years white sepulcre lay
Come in I said, and warm you by the fire
And there she sita , and never goes away

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