tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23649533896298215472012-02-16T10:35:02.935-08:00The Book SceneTheBookScene.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12048528914804797143noreply@blogger.comBlogger21100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2364953389629821547.post-88267410154621709882011-02-26T08:42:00.000-08:002011-02-26T08:47:38.770-08:00While Cataloging: Finding the Author of a Poem<small>Posted: 26 Feb 2011</small><br /><div id="post"><div><hr /><br /><br />While cataloging a children's book I noticed a fairly long gift notation on the front flypage. It is a rather nice poem:<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; February 17, 1968<br />To XXX X XXXX:<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="color: blue; font-style: italic;"> I cannot count the stars....</span><br /><span style="color: blue; font-style: italic;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; nor touch them..</span><br /><span style="color: blue; font-style: italic;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; but in the magic of the night</span><br /><span style="color: blue; font-style: italic;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I feel their calm and glory..</span><br /><span style="color: blue; font-style: italic;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The rhythm of the rolling waves...</span><br /><span style="color: blue; font-style: italic;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; winds that whistle&nbsp; ...&nbsp; roar&nbsp; ...</span><br /><span style="color: blue; font-style: italic;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; and whisper .....</span><br /><span style="color: blue; font-style: italic;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; are part of one great harmony</span><br /><span style="color: blue; font-style: italic;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; that plays within my heart...</span><br /><span style="color: blue; font-style: italic;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Swallows sweeping through the air ..</span><br /><span style="color: blue; font-style: italic;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; fireflies twinkling in the twilight ..</span><br /><span style="color: blue; font-style: italic;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; are all this soul of mine desires</span><br /><span style="color: blue; font-style: italic;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; to keep it dreaming ...</span><br /><span style="color: blue; font-style: italic;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; dreams ......</span><br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; With Special Love<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; XXXX X XXXX<br /><br />Being naturally inquisitive, I wondered if this writer actually was the author of the poem, or was just quoting it. So I went to Google with the most distinctive line ("fireflies twinkling in the twilight") and got only 3 relevant results,&nbsp; all containing this poem, but none mentioning the author:<br /><br />1.) A 2001 Adirondack Youth Camp Newsletter<br />2.) A 2004 Blog for a Senior English class where a student posts this poem in the "Share your writing" section.<br />3.) A 2009 posting in a rural life forum by a man from Northern Ontario. He said "But those aren,t my words, just some notes i was sent,,,"<br /><br />No help there. But the senior English student had also posted another "Share your writing" sample:<br /><br /><div style="margin-left: 40px;"><span style="color: blue; font-style: italic;">The woods stood shimmering ----- a delicate fantasy</span><br /><span style="color: blue; font-style: italic;">---- The wind was still</span><br /><span style="color: blue; font-style: italic;">The air was warm</span><br /><span style="color: blue; font-style: italic;">A great phenomenon of life took place</span><br /><span style="color: blue; font-style: italic;">The day the leaves came out…….</span><br /><br /></div>Google quickly revealed the author of this new snippet is actually Gwen Frostic. And analyzing the writing style of several Frostic poems proves she is the unmistakable author of the first poem! The presentation note in the book was merely quoting her.<br /><br />Henry Mirrisa, TheBookScene.com<br /><br /><hr /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2364953389629821547-8826741015462170988?l=thebookscene.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>TheBookScene.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12048528914804797143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2364953389629821547.post-66955744708908759642011-02-26T07:48:00.000-08:002011-02-26T07:51:40.108-08:00A Bibliophile's Poem: Robert Louis Stevenson<small>Posted: 26 Feb 2011</small><br /><hr /><br />This is a poem found anonymously handwritten on a slip of paper in a turn-of-the-century book. Perhaps original and unpublished since my research cannot locate it anywhere:<br /><br /><div class="wmMessage_user_text_special" id="wmMessage" style="color: blue; font-style: italic; margin-left: 140px; width: 1042px;">Dingy was the book-stall<br />There in Holborn town;<br />All was rust and moth and dust,<br />Cobwebs hanging down.<br />In the darksome passage,<br />Dreary as a tomb,<br />From the frame, the sun in vain<br />Strove to quell the gloom;<br />Till the bookman's gentle voice<br />Sounded in my ear,<br />"Robert Louis Stevenson<br />Used to come in here."<br /><br />All radiant was the book-stall<br />There in Holborn town;<br />Sunny breeze from summer seas<br />Swept the cobwebs down,<br />Filled the darksome passage<br />With sweet scent of bloom,<br />Charm and grace transformed the place<br />To a splendid room,<br />Garnished fit for king or queen<br />Princess or chevalier,<br />For the bookman's gentle voice<br />Had sounded in my ear,<br />"Robert Louis Stevenson<br />Used to come in here." </div><br />Henry Mirrisa, TheBookScene.com<br /><hr /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2364953389629821547-6695574470890875964?l=thebookscene.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>TheBookScene.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12048528914804797143noreply@blogger.com0