Poetry Codex

Modern

W. H. Davies

1871–1940

William Henry Davies (1871–1940) was a Welsh poet and writer, born in Newport, Monmouthshire. He spent years as a tramp in America and Britain, losing a foot while trying to jump a freight train, and wrote of that life in The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp (1908).

His short, simple lyrics about birds, flowers, tramps and the poor made him one of the Georgian poets. “Leisure,” first published in Songs of Joy (1911), is his best-known poem; the other poems here are from Foliage (1913).

Poems (65)

  1. Thunderstorms
  2. Strong Moments
  3. A Greeting
  4. Sweet Stay-at-Home
  5. The Starved
  6. A May Morning
  7. The Lonely Dreamer
  8. Christmas
  9. Laughing Rose
  10. Seeking Joy
  11. The Old Oak Tree
  12. Poor Kings
  13. Smiles
  14. Mad Poll
  15. Francis Thompson
  16. The Bird-Man
  17. Winter's Beauty
  18. The Church Organ
  19. Heigh Ho, the Rain
  20. Night Wanderers
  21. Who I Know
  22. The Two Lives
  23. Life Is Jolly
  24. The Fog
  25. Dreams of the Sea
  26. The Helpless
  27. Children at Play
  28. When the Cuckoo Sings
  29. My Youth
  30. Leisure
  31. The Child and the Mariner
  32. Days Too Short
  33. In May
  34. The Heap of Rags
  35. The Kingfisher
  36. The White Cascade
  37. Easter
  38. Raptures
  39. Cowslips and Larks
  40. Lovely Dames
  41. When Yon Full Moon
  42. On Hearing Mrs. Woodhouse Play the Harpsichord
  43. Birds
  44. Oh, Sweet Content!
  45. A Child's Pet
  46. England
  47. The Bell
  48. The Captive Lion
  49. A Bird's Anger
  50. The Villain
  51. Love's Caution
  52. Wasted Hours
  53. The Truth
  54. The Moon
  55. The Example
  56. Songs of Joy
  57. Truly Great
  58. Money
  59. The Elements
  60. The Mind's Liberty
  61. When on a Summer's Morn
  62. A Great Time
  63. The Hawk
  64. A Fleeting Passion
  65. The Bird of Paradise

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