And the winner is . . . friend Charles, who correctly identified this as W. H. Auden.
Auden was the most important of Tolkien's early defenders and one of I think only two people who Tolkien wrote poems addressed to ("For W. H. A."), the other being Charles Williams.
Auden at one point thought of writing what wd have been the first book on Tolkien; I'm sorry it didn't come off.
I took this photo, which shows the remarkable cracklature of Auden's face in his latter years, from Carpenter's biography.
"one of I think only two people who Tolkien wrote poems addressed to"
What about Mythopoeia, addressed "to one who said that myths were lies and therefore worthless, even though 'breathed through silver'"? Also "J.R.R.T. for C.S.L." in some versions according to the entry in the Reader's Companion.
And the winner is . . . friend Charles, who correctly identified this as W. H. Auden.
ReplyDeleteAuden was the most important of Tolkien's early defenders and one of I think only two people who Tolkien wrote poems addressed to ("For W. H. A."), the other being Charles Williams.
Auden at one point thought of writing what wd have been the first book on Tolkien; I'm sorry it didn't come off.
I took this photo, which shows the remarkable cracklature of Auden's face in his latter years, from Carpenter's biography.
--John R.
"one of I think only two people who Tolkien wrote poems addressed to"
ReplyDeleteWhat about Mythopoeia, addressed "to one who said that myths were lies and therefore worthless, even though 'breathed through silver'"? Also "J.R.R.T. for C.S.L." in some versions according to the entry in the Reader's Companion.
dear H.
ReplyDeleteGood point: I shd have caught that one.
--John R.