New Poems: "The beauty we love is very silent. It smiles softly to itself, but never speaks."

By Richard Le Gallienne

Richard Thomas Gallienne was born in Liverpool on 20th January, 1866.

His first job was in an accountant's office, but this was quickly abandoned to pursue his first love as a professional writer. His first work, My Ladies’ Sonnets, was published in 1887.

In 1889 he became, for a brief time, literary secretary to Wilson Barrett the manager, actor, and playwright. Barrett enjoyed immense success with the staging of melodramas, which would later reach a peak with the historical tragedy The Sign of the Cross (1895).

Le Gallienne joined the staff of The Star newspaper in 1891, and also wrote for various other papers under the pseudonym ‘Logroller’. He contributed to the short-lived but influential quarterly periodical The Yellow Book, published between 1894 and 1897.

His first wife, Mildred Lee, died in 1894 leaving their daughter, Hesper, in his care.

In 1897 he married the Danish journalist Julie Norregard. However, the marriage would not be a success. She left him in 1903 and took their daughter Eva to live in Paris. They were eventually divorced in June 1911.

Le Gallienne now moved to the United States and became resident there.

On 27th October 1911, he married Mrs. Irma Perry, whose marriage to her first cousin, the painter and sculptor Roland Hinton Perry, had been dissolved in 1904. Le Gallienne and Irma had known each other for many years and had written an article together a few years earlier in 1906.

Le Gallienne and Irma lived in Paris from the late 1920s, where Irma’s daughter Gwen was by then an established figure in the expatriate bohème. Le Gallienne also added a regular newspaper column to the frequent publication of his poems, essays and other articles.

By 1930 Le Gallienne’s book publishing career had virtually ceased. During the latter years of that decade Le Gallienne lived in Menton on the French Riviera and, during the war years, in nearby Monaco. His house was commandeered by German troops and his handsome library was nearly sent back to Germany as bounty. Le Gallienne managed a successful appeal to a German officer in Monaco which allowed him to return to Menton to collect his books.

To his credit Le Gallienne refused to write propaganda for the local German and Italian authorities, and financially was often in dire need. On one occasion he collapsed in the street due to hunger.

Richard Thomas Gallienne died on 15th September 1947. He is buried in Menton in a grave whose lease is, at present, due to expire in 2023.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Portable Poetry
• Release date: Jun 14, 2018
• ISBN: 9781787800236

Richard Le Gallienne

RICHARD LE GALLIENNE (20 January 1866 - 15 September 1947) was a prolific English author and poet of the late 19th and early 20th century, and the father of American actress Eva Le Gallienne (1899-1991). He was born Richard Thomas Gallienne in Liverpool and began his career in an accountant’s office, but abandoned this job to become a professional writer. His book, My Ladies’ Sonnets, appeared in 1887, and in 1889 he became, for a brief time, literary secretary to famous playwright Wilson Barrett. He joined the staff of the newspaper The Star in 1891, and wrote for various papers by the name Logroller. He contributed to The Yellow Book, and associated with the Rhymers’ Club. After his second wife, Danish journalist Julie Norregard, left him in 1903 and took their daughter Eva to live in Paris, Le Gallienne became a resident of the United States. He then lived in Paris from the late 1920s with his third wife, Irma Perry, and there wrote a regular newspaper column. During the 1940s he lived in Menton on the French Riviera and, during the Second World War, was prevented from returning to his Menton home when it was occupied by German troops. He went to live in Monaco for the rest of the war, managing to salvage his library by appealing to a German officer there who allowed him to return to Menton to collect his books. Le Gallienne died in 1947 aged 81 and is buried in Menton. CHARLES HANSON TOWNE (1877-1949) was an author, editor and popular New York celebrity. From 1924 to 1929 he edited many magazines including Smart Set, Delineator, Designer, McClure’s, and Harper’s Bazaar. He also wrote poetry, novels, plays, travel essays, song cycles, lyrics for musicals and operettas, memoirs, and newspaper columns; taught poetry at Columbia University; and toured with the Broadway hit, Life With Father. Much of his writing celebrated New York City and he was considered to be the quintessential New Yorker.

Book preview

New Poems by Richard Le Gallienne

Richard Thomas Gallienne was born in Liverpool on 20th January, 1866.

His first job was in an accountant's office, but this was quickly abandoned to pursue his first love as a professional writer. His first work, My Ladies’ Sonnets, was published in 1887.

In 1889 he became, for a brief time, literary secretary to Wilson Barrett the manager, actor, and playwright. Barrett enjoyed immense success with the staging of melodramas, which would later reach a peak with the historical tragedy The Sign of the Cross (1895).

Le Gallienne joined the staff of The Star newspaper in 1891, and also wrote for various other papers under the pseudonym ‘Logroller’. He contributed to the short-lived but influential quarterly periodical The Yellow Book, published between 1894 and 1897.

His first wife, Mildred Lee, died in 1894 leaving their daughter, Hesper, in his care.

In 1897 he married the Danish journalist Julie Norregard. However, the marriage would not be a success. She left him in 1903 and took their daughter Eva to live in Paris. They were eventually divorced in June 1911.

Le Gallienne now moved to the United States and became resident there.

On 27th October 1911, he married Mrs. Irma Perry, whose marriage to her first cousin, the painter and sculptor Roland Hinton Perry, had been dissolved in 1904. Le Gallienne and Irma had known each other for many years and had written an article together a few years earlier in 1906.

Le Gallienne and Irma lived in Paris from the late 1920s, where Irma’s daughter Gwen was by then an established figure in the expatriate bohème.  Le Gallienne also added a regular newspaper column to the frequent publication of his poems, essays and other articles.

By 1930 Le Gallienne’s book publishing career had virtually ceased. During the latter years of that decade Le Gallienne lived in Menton on the French Riviera and, during the war years, in nearby Monaco. His house was commandeered by German troops and his handsome library was nearly sent back to Germany as bounty. Le Gallienne managed a successful appeal to a German officer in Monaco which allowed him to return to Menton to collect his books.

To his credit Le Gallienne refused to write propaganda for the local German and Italian authorities, and financially was often in dire need.  On one occasion he collapsed in the street due to hunger.

Richard Thomas Gallienne died on 15th September 1947.  He is buried in Menton in a grave whose lease is, at present, due to expire in 2023.

Index of contents

I

THE CRY OF THE LITTLE PEOPLES

CHRISTMAS IN WAR-TIME 

THE ILLUSION OF WAR

SOLDIER GOING TO THE WAR

II

THE HIDDEN LAND 

BALLAD OF THE DEAD LOVER

THE WIFE FROM FAIRYLAND

BALLAD OF THE SINFUL LOVER

THE SILVER GIRL

MARGARET

RED ROSE OF MARGARET

LA FOLIE

WEEP, MOTHER OF LOVE!

THE DAYS OF DISTANCE AND THE NIGHTS APART 

MONODY 

REQUIEM 

THE NORTHERN SPHINX

TO ONE WHO IS BLIND 

THE HARP-PLAYER 

TO LYKKE

A CARAVAN FROM CHINA COMES

THE WOMAN OF DREAMS

III

' O CLIMB WITH ME, THIS APRIL NIGHT

LET WHOSO WILL SING TOWNS AND TOWERS

SONG TO THE MOON 

THE CUCKOO

THE NIGHTJAR

AN EASTER SONG

FOR SUNDIALS

NEW-BORN

WAYFARING 

TWILIGHT 

SONG

A DITHYRAMBUS OF BUTTERMILK

SPRING

SONG

A SONG OF BREAD AND HONEY 

OCTOBER MOONLIGHT

NOVEMBER

AT EVENING I CAME TO THE WOOD

IV

SLEEP FOR LONDON 

THE THAMES

LONDON BEAUTIFUL

A FAREWELL TO LONDON

BROOKLYN BRIDGE AT DAWN

V

TO LOVE!

HOPELESS OF HOPE, PAST DESIRE EVEN OF THEE

O LOVE, I LOOK ACROSS THE SEA

FOR LACK AND LOVE OF YOU, LOVE

"TRUE HEART

LONG AFTER YOU ARE DEAD

OF ALL THE DAYS WE SAID THAT DAY WAS GOOD

I DID NOT KNOW THAT I LOVED YOU, LOVE, LIKE THIS

I LIE AWAKE TO WATCH YOUR SLEEPING FACE

GRACE O' GOD

I HEARD A LIAR SAY MY LOVE DOTH CEASE

GIVE ME THY TEARS

O LET THEM WATCH 

WAS IT FOR THIS WE MET—TO PART LIKE THIS

I LOVE HER NO MORE. I WOULD HAVE DIED

ALL THE LOVING EVER DONE

VI

HOW MANY FRIENDS I LOVED ARE GONE

THE TRAVELLER

"I SAW A ROSE IN MY