Poem ~ Banned Poets - Sunday, 24 October 1915

Source: File:  Rudyard Kipling.jpeg [online] see an original image at: <https://www.poeticous.com/kipling> [24 October 2015].

With questions raised

In the House of Commons,

Came one subject discussed,

Which dealt with poets -

Subjected to military censors.

The home secretary

Was asked by Mr McNeill,

About quotes of Mr Kipling

And Mr Browning, being

Deleted from press dispatches.

A reply was given by Sir Simon

To suggest the Press Bureau

Might provide an acceptable

List of British poets  - might

That possibly prove ineffective?

With amusement provided

To the idea that the military

Did not object to poetry,

But to times of an inability

To recognize the art form.

Meanwhile Mr Outhwaite

Quizzed, if the same official

Had censored both Kipling

And Browning - Sir Simon

Replied how he thought not.

The belief was suggested

That the Browning quote,

That appeared in a despatch,

Had come from an accredited

Front line correspondent.

The quip reply by Mr McNeil,

Was asking for reassurance

That two separate people

Were responsible - Afterwards

Mr Simon made a response.

The Home secretary, who 

Had raised this issue,

From then on  prompted

All censors to; 'meditate

The thankless muse.'

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Censors and The Poets - 'No Military Objection'. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 22 October. P.6. Col.2. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11936818/Daily-Telegraph-October-22-1915.html [Accessed: 24 October 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 24 October 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11936818/Daily-Telegraph-October-22-1915.html

http://worldwaroneblogger.blogspot.co.uk/

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Poem ~ Anti-Protestor Lady - Friday, 22 October 1915

Impression sketch of Anti-Protestor Lady  - by Jamie

Wife of a major, Mrs Templar,

Strolled in the company of a friend -

The widow of a Colonel Finch -

The two women were out walking

On Tuesday 19 October.

In Farnborough on Alexandra road,

They encountered the presence

Of a William Hogg who, aged 47, was

Voicing his opinion, by process

Of a speech out in the open.

A few people were already

Gathered, when they both stopped

To watch - Hogg's statement

Was they were, 'sending them out

To murder them!'

In the obvious nature of referring

To troops, Mrs Templar gave

Her reaction, to call Mr Hogg a traitor.

The speaker stopped to ask

Her to come closer and say that.

In doing so Mrs Templar

Said how he was not only a traitor,

But a damned one at that -

The scene led to Mr Hogg's to appear

At Aldershot Police Court.

Mrs Templar said in evidence,

That her language could

Not have any excuse - as that came

To mind in condemnation,

In witness to that terrible thing.

After Mrs Finch confirmed

Events, Mr Hogg's plea was not guilty -

The son of a dean of church

Of Ireland - who had served through

The South African war.

This though seemed to make

No difference to court,

As Mr Hogg was found guilty; given

A choice of either a month

In prison or payment of £5 fine.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Patriotic Lady's Protest. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 22 October. P.12. Col.5. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11936818/Daily-Telegraph-October-22-1915.html [Accessed: 22 October 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 22 October 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11936818/Daily-Telegraph-October-22-1915.html

http://worldwaroneblogger.blogspot.co.uk/

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1England