Talk:Edward Thomas (poet)

Untitled
Hi. The old book of collected poems is out of print, but a new edition was printed in 2003, edited by the South African poet Peter Sacks. I've updated the entry. Overall, looks great. 66.254.232.125 06:40, 4 May 2006 (UTC) Can't figure out why the "Ian McEwan" reference isn't correctly linked in the last citation in the "References to Thomas by Other Writers" section.Greavill (talk) 04:52, 29 November 2012 (UTC)

Wikisource?
Do we have any of Thomas's poems (especially Adlestrop) on Wikisource? His work is long out of copyright, after all. 86.132.142.246 (talk) 21:23, 28 December 2007 (UTC)

Novel?
What is the title of the novel he wrote? And are there any other non-fiction books apart from essays? 80.0.109.171 (talk) 23:17, 30 June 2008 (UTC)
 * The book was called The Happy-Go-Lucky Morgans and published in 1913. I'm not sure if he wrote any other non-fiction, other than the poems of course. I'll have to dig out my copy of the poems to see if there are any mentions. Thanks for pointing the omission out - I've added a mention of the title in the article. Bob talk 23:23, 30 June 2008 (UTC)
 * Further to this point, R. George Thomas appears to suggest that some of the novel is autobiographical in nature - I'll have to look into this a bit further and add something to the article. The novel is still available, which I was surprised by, and reprinted in September 2007 by Kessinger Publishing. I was looking for something to read... Bob talk 23:35, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

A Conscious Englishman
As discussed with the editors Biker Biker and Martinevans123, I hope that some space can be found for a reference to the novel A Conscious Englishman by Margaret Keeping. The book is a first novel, which is why the novelist is not notable (a reference to a comment by Biker Biker, re the author being non-notable). The book has the endorsement of the Edward Thomas estate and permissions from Henry Holt & Company for extracts used relating to Robert Frost; extracts from the novel have been published in the Edward Thomas Fellowship newsletter and it has been reviewed in the Times Literary Supplement and elsewhere since publication in February 2013. Author Linda Newbery, whose own work inspired by Thomas is referred to later in the Edward Thomas Wikipedia article, has said of the book, '[Margaret Keeping's] writing is very assured and she has the necessary eye for place, detail, weather and seasons to write about Edward Thomas...I hope the book will reach the wide audience it deserves and feel sure that many others will enjoy it as much as I have.' Newbery has given permission for this quote to be used. I think it is fair to say that the book divides readers. Some feel that the whole project to capture the poetic imagination in fiction is flawed; others believe the book to be a very readable and reliable evocation of the last years of Thomas' life. The book was recently featured in the Guardian Books blog by Guardian literary editor Claire Armitstead. Springfever2013 (talk) 10:27, 4 May 2013 (UTC)
 * Thanks for your explanation. Well, I don't think that we can use a blog as a source, even of it's the Guardian Books blog? I think it would be best to leave until there is a review. What is/was the publication date? I'd be tempted to keep it in, but not in "Commemorations". I suspect other editors might be worried that you may have WP:COI as this is your first edit. Martinevans123 (talk) 10:46, 4 May 2013 (UTC)
 * I think there is a definite COI - obvious from the posts on our respective talk pages. My own preference is to remove any mention of the book until consensus can be reached for its inclusion in the article. --Biker Biker (talk) 10:53, 4 May 2013 (UTC)
 * Thanks. My response to Martinevans123 is: Thanks. I have added a plain entry where you have suggested. The novel was published on 7th February 2013. It has been reviewed as stated above. Online reviews include TLS (subscription only), Oxford Times and Historical Novels Review . Meanwhile, I notice Biker Biker has removed the plain, factual entry I added. It would be nice if that could be reinstated by Biker Biker, given the reviews linked to above. Springfever2013 (talk) 10:58, 4 May 2013 (UTC)
 * I'd say there is a strong indication, but no actual proof of any COI. Thomas' relationship with Frost is quite important. I was initially concerned that it's a novel, but those reviews seem to offer more than adequate support for inclusion. It's very good to see new material about Thomas. Martinevans123 (talk) 11:04, 4 May 2013 (UTC) p.s. a quote from that last review, by the Historical Novel Society, might even be appropriate.
 * OK does that mean that you--and Biker Biker--might be prepared to allow mention? If so, do you put this in? Obviously, I defer to you judgement on this. Springfever2013 (talk) 11:07, 4 May 2013 (UTC)
 * It would be great, Martinevans123 and Biker Biker, if you could let me know what happens next as far inclusion of this novel is concerned. Can a wording be agreed? Is, for example, the last, stripped down version of my wording (which doesn't, though, mention Frost) the basis of something that can be agreed upon between me, you and Biker Biker? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Springfever2013 (talk • contribs) 11:27, 4 May 2013 (UTC)  Springfever2013 (talk) 11:31, 4 May 2013 (UTC)
 * Would something like the following be acceptable?: 'The last years of Thomas's life are explored in A Conscious Englishman (StreetBooks, 2013), a biographical novel by Margaret Keeping. "The author’s research on Frost, Farjeon and Thomas is commendable..." Janet Williamson, The Historical Novels Review 64 (May 2013) .' Thanks for considering. Springfever2013 (talk) 11:45, 4 May 2013 (UTC)
 * As I put in my edit summary, I was happy with what was last included, and its location. (If it gets further reviews, it might even warrant expansion and/or re-positioning, in my view.) Martinevans123 (talk) 11:47, 4 May 2013 (UTC)
 * OK, thanks. Well, I've re-added the very plain, factual reference, which I hope will be a useful and acceptable contribution. Springfever2013 (talk) 12:01, 4 May 2013 (UTC)

I agree with the inclusion of the book. Btw, newspaper blogs are fine to include as sources as they are essentially articles; not 'self published'. Span (talk) 12:15, 4 May 2013 (UTC)
 * Do you think it needs any more? Martinevans123 (talk) 12:55, 4 May 2013 (UTC)
 * No. Just responding to an earlier comment. Span (talk) 14:13, 4 May 2013 (UTC)

Was Thomas a chronic depressive?
I've just seen someone in a thread in a broadsheet's discussion thread claim that he was, but I don't know of any references that confirm this. Perhaps someone else knows of some?

EDIT: the BBC article about Thomas mentions his depression, which seems to me to be significant enough to mention in the article;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/wales/posts/edward_thomas_welsh_poet_english_traditions

Meltingpot (talk) 21:06, 14 August 2014 (UTC)


 * I think I'd want to see that "John Wain ... very interesting article in PLANET years ago" mentioned in the comment. Phil Carradice himself just uses the word "depressive". I'm not sure where you've found the word "chronic"? Martinevans123 (talk) 21:35, 14 August 2014 (UTC)

Thanks for getting back to me. The word "chronic" was my addition and was prompted by a fellow commenter who claimed that Thomas suffered from depression throughout his life, which would make it appropriate to use that adjective. Meltingpot (talk) 21:32, 21 August 2014 (UTC)
 * Well, as long as there are good sources to support any claims, that's fine. Any idea when that article was published? I'm guessing it was this Planet'. Martinevans123 (talk) 21:38, 21 August 2014 (UTC)


 * The biography by Hollis makes it quite clear that he was depressive. He cites multiple instances of Thomas's behaviour, and the effects of this on his family life, and there really can't be any doubt. It's a good read, too.Thomas Peardew (talk) 15:47, 15 October 2021 (UTC)

War poet?
I've added "Nature poetry" to the Genre. I have left in "War poetry", to keep the previous contributor happy, even though it is inaccurate. Dying in the trenches doesn't make you a war poet, and you will be hard pressed to find a single poem by Thomas on the subject of war. The setting of the vast majority of his poems is rural England, and the subjects of the vast majority of them are nature and existential grief. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.86.253.67 (talk) 13:04, 26 April 2016 (UTC)
 * Tend to agree. This Poetry Foundation source say this: "Though he wrote only one war poem per se—"This Is No Case of Petty Right or Wrong"—throughout his poetry Thomas subtly portrays the influence of war on the natural order." Not convinced that genre must be kept, just to keep any previous contributor happy. Martinevans123 (talk) 14:14, 26 April 2016 (UTC)

External links modified
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 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20090521155638/http://resources.glos.ac.uk/departments/lis/archives/collections/gpwa/dymock.cfm to http://resources.glos.ac.uk/departments/lis/archives/collections/gpwa/dymock.cfm
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20090521155638/http://resources.glos.ac.uk/departments/lis/archives/collections/gpwa/dymock.cfm to http://resources.glos.ac.uk/departments/lis/archives/collections/gpwa/dymock.cfm

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Sculpture
From 12 December 2017 the National Museum of Wales will display 'The Company of Old Roads', a sculptural installation by Claire Malet, an artist hidden in Herefordshire. The sculpture includes a 1929 reprint of the 1922 collected poems, open at 'Roads', Thomas's "favourite gods". Brother Big (talk) 15:37, 23 November 2017 (UTC)
 * Poor thing. Why is she hidden? I see you have added an image of the work: File:6. Claire Malet, The Company of Old Roads, 2017, low res.jpg. I wonder could you confirm that copyright does not lie with the National Museum of Wales which is exhibiting it? Thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 15:40, 23 November 2017 (UTC) p.s. I'm always wary of adding an event before it has actually happened.

External links modified
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