Edith Nesbit, The Poetry Of: “There is no bond like having read and liked the same books.”

By Edith Nesbit

Edith Nesbit, The Poetry – An Introduction. Edith Nesbit is more famously known as a writer of children’s stories and ghost stories some of which are available in other volumes. But in this volume we explore her poetry. Born in 1858 in Kennington, then part of Surrey and now London. Her early life was one of constant house changes before meeting, age 17, Hubert Bland who she was to marry three years later – whilst she was 7 months pregnant. Additionally Bland kept his affair with another woman going throughout. The two children of this relationship were raised by Edith as her own as well as their own three. They founded the Fabian Society in 1884. Thought of as the first modern writer for children she also wrote for adults producing over 50 books in total. Like many consummate writers who yearn to be recognised as poets their other works are given greater recognition. Now in this volume you be the judge. Many of these poems are also available on our audiobook version at iTunes, Amazon and other digital stores.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Copyright Group
• Release date: Sep 24, 2013
• ISBN: 9781780005065

Edith Nesbit

Edith Nesbit (1858-1924) was an English writer of children’s literature. Born in Kennington, Nesbit was raised by her mother following the death of her father—a prominent chemist—when she was only four years old. Due to her sister Mary’s struggle with tuberculosis, the family travelled throughout England, France, Spain, and Germany for years. After Mary passed, Edith and her mother returned to England for good, eventually settling in London where, at eighteen, Edith met her future husband, a bank clerk named Hubert Bland. The two—who became prominent socialists and were founding members of the Fabian Society—had a famously difficult marriage, and both had numerous affairs. Nesbit began her career as a poet, eventually turning to children’s literature and publishing around forty novels, story collections, and picture books. A contemporary of such figures of Lewis Carroll and Kenneth Grahame, Nesbit was notable as a writer who pioneered the children’s adventure story in fiction. Among her most popular works are The Railway Children (1906) and The Story of the Amulet (1906), the former of which was adapted into a 1970 film, and the latter of which served as a profound influence on C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series. A friend and mentor to George Bernard Shaw and H.G. Wells, Nesbit’s work has inspired and entertained generations of children and adults, including such authors as J.K. Rowling, Noël Coward, and P.L. Travers.

Book preview

Edith Nesbit, The Poetry

Poetry is a fascinating use of language.  With almost a million words at its command it is not surprising that these Isles have produced some of the most beautiful, moving and descriptive verse through the centuries.  In this series we look at poets who at first thought summon other crafts to mind.  

Edith Nesbit is more famously known as a writer of children’s stories and ghost stories (some of which are available in other book and audiobook volumes from ourselves).  But in this volume we explore her poetry.  Born in 1858 in Kennington, then part of Surrey and now London.  Her early life was one of constant house changes before meeting, age 17, Hubert Bland who she was to marry three years later – whilst she was 7 months pregnant.  Additionally Bland kept his affair with another woman going throughout.  The two children of this relationship were raised by Edith as her own as well as their own three.  They founded the Fabian Society in 1884.  Thought of as the first modern writer for children she also wrote for adults producing over 50 books in total.  Like many consummate writers who yearn to be recognised as poets their other works are given greater recognition.  Now in this volume you be the judge.

Many of the poems are also available as an audiobook from our sister company Portable Poetry.  Many samples are at our youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/PortablePoetry?feature=mhee   The full volume can be purchased from iTunes, Amazon and other digital stores.  Among the readers are Richard Mitchley and Ghizela Rowe

Index Of Poems

The Beatific Vision

The Day Of Judgment

St. Valentine's Day

The Will To Live

The Touchstone

Wedding Day

The Way Of Love

Winter

To A Child

White Magic

Work

Windflowers

The Temptation

The Things That Matter

To Her: In Time Of War

Values

The Tree Of Knowledge

True Love And New Love

Sea-Shells

Surrender

Silence

The Prodigal Son

Renunciation

Prayer In Time Of War

May Song

May Day

Love And Life

A Parting

The Maiden's Prayer

The Last Defeat

In Trouble

The Last Betrayal

Hop Picking

The Destroyer

In Hospital

The Enchanted Garden

In Age

Death

After Death

The Confession

Accession

Before Winter

And The Rains Descended And The Floods Came

The December Rose

Despair

The Egoists

Faith

Fear

The Fire

The Gift Of Life

Hope

Gratitude

Magic

The Eternal

The Old Magic

Philosophy

Possession

The Prodigal's Return

A Farewell

The Beatific Vision

OH God! if I do my duty

And walk in the thorny way,

Will you pay me with heavens of beauty,

Millions of lives away?

Will you give me the music of heaven,

And the joy that none understands,

In place of what life would have given

If I had held out my hands?

I have lived in a narrow prison,

I have writhed 'neath a bitter creed,

And I dare to say that no heaven can pay

The renounced dream and deed,

But