Reading Experience Database
1450-1945

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Record 20138

Reading Experience:

Evidence:
'It was so charming of you to send me your anthology,..............It is particularly interesting to me, because, although your anthology and my second, and third(forthcoming) anthology cover the same period, we rarely cover the same ground. I am jealous, as well as happy, that you have included the four heavenly Keats Odes, and Shelley's "To Night", one of the loveliest of all poems, and the beauties from "Prometheus Unbound". I am especially delighted, too, with your Tennyson, because with the exception of "Tears, idle tears" we touch different ground again, and that means that, when I am travelling, if I take your anthology and my anthologies, I shall be rich with nearly all the beauties I could need. We touch the same ground, again, in the inclusion of Rosetti's "The Woodspurge", but our choice of Christina Rosetti is different, for I have gone completely mad, and have included the whole of "Goblin Market". Your anthology includes more poets than mine; your taste, I think, is more catholic. But under the influence of your anthology I am beginning to feel positively calm about Matthew Arnold - a state which I did not think would ever be mine, on that subject......'
Century: 1900-1945
Date: Between 1 Jan 1932 and 31 Mar 1932
Country: England
Time: n/a
Place: city: London
specific address: 22 Pembridge Mansions, Moscow Road
   
Type of Experience (Reader):
silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
Type of Experience (Listener):
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Reader/Listener/Reading Group:

Reader:Edith Sitwell
Age Adult (18-100+)
Gender Female
Date of Birth 7 Sep 1887
Socio-economic group: Gentry
Occupation: Poet
Religion: Christian
Country of origin: England
Country of experience: England
Listeners present if any:
(e.g. family, servants, friends, workmates)
n/a
Additional comments: n/a

 

Text Being Read:

Author: John Hayward
Title: Nineteenth Century Poetry - An Anthology
Genre: Poetry
Form of Text: Print: Book
Publication details: 1932, London, Chatto and Windus ( Phoenix Library)
Provenance: owned
Received as a gift from John Hayward

 

Source Information:

Record ID: 20138  
Source - Print  
  Author: Edith Sitwell
  Editor: Richard Greene
  Title: Selected Letters of Edith Sitwell
  Place of Publication: London
  Date of Publication: 1998
  Vol: n/a
  Page: 133
  Additional comments: n/a

Citation: Edith Sitwell, Richard Greene (ed.), Selected Letters of Edith Sitwell (London, 1998), p. 133, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/reading/recorddetails2.php?id=20138, accessed: 26 April 2024

Additional comments:

This is part of a letter dated 31st March 1932 written to John Hayward. Edith's references to her own anthologies might be said to be indicative of a little one-upmanship and there are hints of condescension in this letter.

 

 

Reading Experience Database version 2.0.  Page updated: 27th Apr 2016  3:15pm (GMT)