Henry Newbolt (1862–1938)

Unfashionable now, both in style and content, Newbolt takes the reader back to the age of Empire (British, that is) when attitudes and beliefs were more certain and self-confident.

He writes verse about Clifton, his relatively minor public school, which emphasises the values inculcated in the young 19thC. English gentleman, headed in many instances for the Army or Colonial Service. Try 'Vitai Lampada' - one of his better known verses - for the sturdy cricketing schoolboy rallying the troops show more after the square broke and "The Gatling's jammed and the Colonel dead".

He deals with British heroism and superiority at sea - 'Drake's Drum' and 'The Old Superb' - and on foreign fields, particularly in India and Afghanistan. He never fails to represent the British as courageous, self-sacrificing, wise and honourable. 'He Fell Among Thieves' is a good example, with the glorious line: "He flung his empty revolver down the slope,"

History is, of course, generally written by the victors and time, with an altered view of human rights, has given us a different conception of colonialism. Newbolt's verse might be seen as simple propaganda but I believe that it does reflect a genuine feeling of the age, that the British actually had a responsibility to bring order, civilisation and their own brand of muscular Christianity to less favoured nations. This is, perhaps, not dissimilar to the apparent beliefs of the USA and its people today, and may be the burden that is always borne by the 'top dog'. show less

[Aladore] by Sir Henry John Newbolt
"Then the hermit came out from within, and when he saw him Ywain kept close to watch what he would do, for he knew not the manner of hermits, nor how they live all their life-days, seeing that they have time before them like new-fallen snow, without fence or foot-mark."

A medieval fantasy novel published in 1914, which has been largely forgotten. I searched in vain to see if it featured in any of the best 100 fantasy novels lists (it probably would not make show more a list of the best 500 fantasy novels; if one was in existence). There is a wiki page about the book which labels it an allegorical novel and maybe when people see a novel listed as allegorical they run a mile (all that difficult allegory that nobody understands). Well I did not see much allegory and little evidence of the religious connotations that some readers have seen.

It is a novel full of magic and fantasy with some deft touches and some 'feel good" writing. I soon became enchanted by the magical worlds of Aladore and Paladore that our hero Yvain flits between. There is a simple love story and there is nothing here to frighten the children. A world of innocence published at the start of the first world war. It is written in a style of old English prose which makes it sing to its own kind of music. Henry Newbolt was a published poet when this novel appeared and there is some delightful prose that obscures and adds to the fantasy feel that he engenders.

Sir Yvain Lord of Sulney is holding court when the novel starts. A 7 year old boy has been found wearing strange clothes and speaking in an unintelligible language. When Yvain addresses the problem his tired, world weariness slips away and he becomes enchanted by the boy. He renounces his Lordship and follows the boy into the woods and the magic has begun. Yvain is searching for what he desires and the hermit whom he meets in the woods reminds him that "Desire is a child: yet he will take a man by the hand and lead him away."

Short chapters with the story moving along at a brisk pace. The style of writing will put some people off as will a lack of any tension or suspense, but I enjoyed my read and so 3.5 stars

The book is free here on the internet https://archive.org/stream/aladoren00newbuoft#page/n417/mode/2up show less

This is best new poet I have found in quite a while. The book is mostly war poems, but it kept my attention in spite of my weariness of that theme.
His poetry reminds of me of F. W. H. Myers. It is broad and rhythmic; classical, not innovative. The book moves on like a brass symphony, sometimes punchy and celebratory, but more often proud and sad.
This will be one worth returning to.
I discovered Henry Newbolt as the able editor of a volume of devotional poetry that I am also sifting my way show more through. show less

The general style and tone of this novel is reminiscent of William Morris's medieval-style romances, though it was written a little later. The knight Ywain gives up his lordship to go wandering and comes to the city of Paladore, contested by two rival bands of warriors. He meets the enchantress Aithene and goes with her into Aladore, an idealized counterpart of Paladore, but finally they return to Paladore.