Warning

Frederick William (FW) Harvey 1888 (Hartpury, Gloucestershire) – 1957 (Yorkley, Gloucestershire)



A man there was, a gentle soul,
Of mild enquiring mind,
Who came into this neighbourhood
Its wonders for to find [ … ]
 
They told him who had put the lid
On Lydney; who the ale
Misspelt in Aylburton. And he
Delighted in the tale.
 
And still, like little Oliver,
He softly asked for more;
And with the utmost courtesy
Was answered as before.
 
Until one sleepy summer's eve
He came all unaware
Unto a place called Ruardean,
And asked ‘Who killed the bear?'
 
The man arose and punched him flat;
Another punched his head,
And when the rest had done with him
Our gentle friend was dead.
 
The moral of this simple tale
Is plain.  Dear friend, beware!
If you should visit Ruardean
Don't mention any bear.
 
If you should climb to Yorkley Slad
Pause not to question why
They put a pig upon the wall
To see the band go by.
 
And if your feet so far should stray
As Dymock, lest some hurt
Befall you, make no mention of
The man without a shirt.
 
Nine lives have cats, and you but one:
Risk not that gift of God!
It's better to be ignorant
Than dead beneath the sod.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:02 min read
138

Quick analysis:

Scheme XAAA XBCB XDCD XEFE XGXG BEFE AHXH XIXI FJXJ
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,030
Words 205
Stanzas 9
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Frederick William (FW) Harvey

Frederick William Harvey DCM, often known as Will Harvey, and dubbed "the Laureate of Gloucestershire", was an English poet, broadcaster and solicitor whose poetry became popular during and after World War I. Harvey was born in 1888 in Hartpury, Gloucestershire, and grew up in Minsterworth. He was educated at the King's School, Gloucester, where he formed a close friendship with Ivor Gurney, and then at Rossall School. Gurney and Herbert Howells, another local composer, would set a number of his poems to music. He started on a legal career, which would always be somewhat tentative; and began to consider conversion to Roman Catholicism. more…

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