Selected Poems of John Drinkwater

John Drinkwater (1882 - 1937)

This remarkable selection of poems from the pen of master poet John Drinkwater is outstanding in its portrayal of the poet's deep appreciation of all aspects of the wonder of human existence. These are poems of life, life's ups and downs, its joys, its sorrows, its tragedy. This is Drinkwater at his best - the poet of the present, the eternal, the here and now - embarking on an ardent quest for meaning in life experiences, some extraordinary, some mundane, experiences elegantly expressed in these poems of marvel and revelation. Drinkwater writes of a common lived experience in poems that resonate with us all, "Still in a world that fortune cannot change," trapped by, "This nature, this great flood of life, this cheat / That uses us as baubles for her coat."

The triumph of love and Drinkwater's deep conviction of its saving graces is richly evident throughout this collection, whether it be the love of the miracles of nature or of the binding love between two living souls, itself one of the greatest miracles. Drinkwater expresses in most graceful terms his fervent ardor coupled with wonder at the role the phenomenon of love plays in this life, a life whose purpose remains ceaselessly obscure and mysterious. As his personal journey of life's/love's discovery concludes in this selection of poems, Drinkwater is compelled to assert, "And when life needs no more of us at all, / Love's word will be the last that we recall" - the essence of which being an apt summary of the value and sentiment this great poet would wish to leave at the doorstep of our open minds to ponder after this, his current mission.
- Summary by Bruce Kachuk

Genre(s): Single author

Language: English

Keyword(s): nature (890), love (326), faith (114), hope (33), classic poetry (15), inspiration (14), wonder (4)

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 01 A Prayer Bruce Kachuk
00:02:43
Play 02 Reckoning Bruce Kachuk
00:01:47
Play 03 Pierrot Bruce Kachuk
00:01:47
Play 04 The Miracle Bruce Kachuk
00:01:24
Play 05 The Crowning of Dreaming John Bruce Kachuk
00:04:54
Play 06 The Vagabond Bruce Kachuk
00:01:12
Play 07 In Lady Street Bruce Kachuk
00:04:39
Play 08 At Grafton Bruce Kachuk
00:01:26
Play 09 January Dusk Bruce Kachuk
00:01:12
Play 10 A Town Window Bruce Kachuk
00:00:53
Play 11 Last Confessional Bruce Kachuk
00:01:56
Play 12 Mad Tom Tatterman Bruce Kachuk
00:02:10
Play 13 Mamble Bruce Kachuk
00:01:15
Play 14 Birthright Bruce Kachuk
00:00:54
Play 15 Olton Pools Bruce Kachuk
00:01:07
Play 16 Sunrise on Rydal Water Bruce Kachuk
00:02:40
Play 17 Holiness Bruce Kachuk
00:00:57
Play 18 Anthony Crundle Bruce Kachuk
00:01:38
Play 19 Immortality Bruce Kachuk
00:02:17
Play 20 Petition Bruce Kachuk
00:01:44
Play 21 May Garden Bruce Kachuk
00:01:32
Play 22 Reciprocity Bruce Kachuk
00:00:52
Play 23 The Hours Bruce Kachuk
00:01:56
Play 24 The Midlands Bruce Kachuk
00:03:32
Play 25 Cotswold Love Bruce Kachuk
00:01:24
Play 26 Moonlit Apples Bruce Kachuk
00:01:27
Play 27 Elizabeth Ann Bruce Kachuk
00:01:07
Play 28 Blackbird Bruce Kachuk
00:01:03
Play 29 Mystery Bruce Kachuk
00:01:54
Play 30 Mrs. Willow Bruce Kachuk
00:01:55
Play 31 Deer Bruce Kachuk
00:01:13
Play 32 Passage Bruce Kachuk
00:00:45
Play 33 History Bruce Kachuk
00:01:56
Play 34 To One I Love Bruce Kachuk
00:03:52
Play 35 The Toll-Gate House Bruce Kachuk
00:01:08
Play 36 A Lesson to My Ghost Bruce Kachuk
00:04:31
Play 37 The Dying Philosopher to His Fiddler Bruce Kachuk
00:01:40
Play 38 Two Ships Bruce Kachuk
00:00:52
Play 39 Portia's Housekeeping Bruce Kachuk
00:02:30
Play 40 In the Valley Bruce Kachuk
00:01:21
Play 41 Who were before Me Bruce Kachuk
00:02:05
Play 42 Samplers Bruce Kachuk
00:01:32
Play 43 The Pledge Bruce Kachuk
00:01:16
Play 44 Nunc Dimittis Bruce Kachuk
00:01:09
Play 45 Persuasion Bruce Kachuk
00:10:59