Walter de la Mare

(1873-1956)

   Many consider Walter de la Mare one of the greatest English writers of the 20th century.  His works retained the spirit of the Edwardian era long after most of his contemporaries embraced stark realism.  Although he began writing in the mid-1890's, his first book wasn't published until 1902.  The popularity of his prose has always been limited in the United States, and is probably due to the distinctly British idiom he uses.  However, his children's books, Peacock Pie (1913) in particular, enjoy frequent re-prints on both sides of the Atlantic.  His 1910 work The Return is probably the most introspective novel ever written.  One of de la Mare's frequent themes is the correspondence between childhood and the unseen world. Some of his short stories evince a deep comprehension of human nature, and convey supernatural undercurrents.  Yet de la Mare's work is often too cryptic in meaning.    His prose contains very little action and incident, and is more effective in creating mood and atmosphere than in entertaining the reader.  His poetry is compact in thought, and unfettered by rigid metrical forms.  He is basically a writer for intellectuals.

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Bibliography:

            Songs Of Childhood [p|1902]
             Henry Brocken [f|1904]
Poems [p] [1906]
3075,Q The Return [f|1910]
The Three Mulla-Mulgars (aka: The Three Royal Monkeys) [1910]
The Listeners.. [p|1912]
A Child's Day [1912]
3753 Peacock Pie [p|1913]
12031 Collected Poems, 1901-1918 [2v|p|1920]
The Veil [p|1921]
Memoirs Of A Midget [1921]
Down-A-Down Derry [p|1922]
Come Hither [p|1923]
Crossings [d|1923]
The Riddle.. [s|1923]
Ding Dong Bell [1924]
Broomsticks.. [s|1925]
Told Again (aka: Tales Told Again) [s|1927]
D Stories From The Bible [s|1929]
Seven Short Stories [s|1931]
Early One Morning In The Spring [1935]
This Year, Next Year [p|1937]
Stories, Essays And Poems [s|1938]
Mr Bumps And His Monkey [1942]
Collected Poems [p|1942]
Bells And Grass [p|1942]
                The Burning-Glass [p] [1945]
                The Traveller [p] [1946]
                Collected Tales [s] [1950]
                Inward Companion [p] [1950]
                Winged Chariot [p] [1951]
                O Lovely England [p] [1953]
                Complete Poems [p] [1970]
         On the Edge [s] [1930]
            The Wind Blows Over [s] [1936]
                Motley and Other Poems [p] [1918]

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Web Resources:

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