Poetry Thursday in Victober: "Tomlinson" - by Rudyard Kipling 

Ha! Well, thanks! I think Kipling did the heavy lifting here, making it easy for a guy like me to get it.

It likely would have dragged my GPA down a bit! But, I agree. I wonder how well Kipling himself did in his Poetry 101 class at Westward Ho!

Aye!

Yes! I thought the same thing... why is Tomlinson so anxious to be let into Hell? Maybe, since he can't get into Heaven already, there is no other alternative than total oblivion? Something to ponder, definitely ... but I get the feeling that wasn't Kipling's point. I think he was just commenting on those damned Bohemians that haven't earned their OWN place anywhere, and he was just having fun with it. And yes, he was a big influence on Howard, so it makes sense that his poetry would echo Kipling's. He does it well, too, I think. You gotta get "Rudyard Kipling's Verse: Definitive Edition" for ALL Kipling's poetry! The copy I bought in college is falling apart now, but I can't bring myself to replace it. I go back to it all the time.

@@jscottphillips503 Maybe I gotta, though my way is usually to nab appealing thrift store finds. Does that edition have the nice woodcut art you were showcasing for every poem?

@@MagusMarquillin Unfortunately, no. The woodcuts are from the Folio Society's leather-bound "Rudyard Kipling: Selected Poems" with slip case. I discussed it a bit in my Brattle Book Haul video. It's a beautiful edition, a bit pricey but well worth it if you're a solid Kipling vers fan. That volume does have George Tute's woodcuts throughout, some really ice stuff.

You read that beautifully-very enjoyable. The humour in the poem came across very well. More of this content please 😁

Don't forget The Rime of the Ancient Mariner!

Well, thank you! I'm sure it was my Sean Connery impression that roped you in.