JOHN FREDERICK FREEMAN
(29 January 1880 - 23 September 1929)
John Frederick Freeman was an English poet and essayist. He was born in London and started his career as an office boy at the age of 13. He later gave up a successful career in insurance to write full-time.
Freeman was a close friend of Walter de la Mare, who lobbied hard with Edward Marsh to get Freeman into the Georgian Poetry series, with eventual success. He won the Hawthornden Prize in 1920 with his collection “Poems 1909-1920”. His work was also set to music by Ivor Gurney.
Song is in a northern european style with original music by Tony Gerber and vocals from Udio vocal AI. (tonygerber.band...)
Poem written circa 1920s.
Poem Lyrics:
The Call
By John Frederick Freeman
Is it the wind that stirs the trees,
Is it the trees that scratch the wall,
Is it the wall that shakes and mutters,
Is it a dumb ghost's call?
The wind steals in and twirls the candle,
The branches heave and brush the wall,
But more than tree or wild wind mutters
This night, this night of all.
"Open!" a cry sounds, and I gasp.
"Open!" and hands beat door and wall.
"Open!" and each dark echo mutters.
I rise, a shape and shadow tall.
"Open!" Across the room I falter,
And near the door crouch by the wall;
Thrice bolt the door as the voice mutters
"Open!" and frail strokes fall.
"Open!" The light's out, and I shrink
Quaking and blind against the wall;
"Open!" no sound is, yet it mutters
Within me now, this night of all.
Was it the wind that stirred the trees,
Was it the trees that scratched the wall,
Was it the wall that shook and muttered.
Or Love's last, ghostly call?
AI generated art and music conducted, directed and video edited by Tony Gerber. (tonygerber.band...)
#poetry, #udiomusic, #aimusic, #famouspoets, #education, #JohnFrederickFreeman, #aigraphics, #aimusicproduction,
29 сен 2024
