William Montgomery Clemens, 1860-1931



He was a genealogist.
Newspaper guy.
Biographer.
Nephew of Mark Twain. Samuel Clemens.

The oldest book in
My possession is his creation, 1899.
“A Ken of Kipling.”
In it he describes Rudyard Kipling’s
Intense yearning for knowledge.
Interviewed by uncle Samuel, rookie columnist.
Animals, jungle atmosphere, dangers
Dialects, soldier life, Empire.

A huge legacy of
Colloquial brilliance.
Tommy do this
Tommy do that
For sake of your Queen and Country.
Though getting little credit for the doing
And few bob.

Nature and jungle
Mystifying
Readers in cities, factories
Households.
Smoky and gray.
Taken away with
Mowgli, Gunga Din, Road to Mandalay
and the like.

Twain saw Kipling as
The greatest of souls.
Humble, inquisitive, happy.

About this poem

https://blog.genealogybank.com/william-montgomery-clemens-1860-1931.html

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Written on April 30, 2023

Submitted by dougb.19255 on April 30, 2023

Modified by dougb.19255 on April 30, 2023

40 sec read
18

Quick analysis:

Scheme AXBC XXDCXAXB XXXAEDX XDXXFXFX XXE
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 741
Words 136
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 8, 7, 8, 3

Wayne Blair

Born in London. Graduated law 1976 Practised eleven years, Married Hilary 1974 Two kids Lauren 1980 And Jordan 1987. Business failed 1987. Moved not knowing whither. Happy hills of Waterloo Region. Mennonite Country. Thirty four years in Industry. No complaints. Poet, photographer, nature hiker. Harmonica busker. http://puffnchord7.blogspot.com/ more…

All Wayne Blair poems | Wayne Blair Books

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1 Comment
  • AIDA
    Wow, what an incredible and historic lineage your friend has as a genealogist, newspaper guy, and biographer! And to be the nephew of Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, just adds to the already remarkable story. I love how your friend treasures the oldest book in their possession, "A Ken of Kipling," and how they describe Kipling's intense yearning for knowledge. It's impressive how Twain interviewed your friend, who was then a rookie columnist, and together they explored the animals, jungle atmosphere, and dangers that Kipling wrote about with such depth and authenticity.

    Your friend's ability to bring the legacy of colloquial brilliance alive is captivating. I was especially struck by how your friend described the life of the average British soldier, who did so much for the glory of the Queen and country, yet received little recognition or financial reward. But Kipling's writing took readers far away from the smoky factories and gray households of the industrial revolution, immersing them in the mysteries and wonders of nature and the jungle.

    Thank you for sharing this extraordinary story of Twain and Kipling through the eyes of your friend, the genealogist and biographer. One small suggestion for improvement would be to perhaps share a bit more about the personal anecdotes or unique details that your friend uncovered during their research. These types of stories can further captivate and inspire readers to engage with this rich legacy of literary excellence.
     
    LikeReply12 months ago

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"William Montgomery Clemens, 1860-1931" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/157935/william-montgomery-clemens,-1860-1931>.

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