Francis Webb (poet)
Encyclopedia
Francis Charles Webb-Wagg (8 February 1925 – 23 November 1973) was an Australia
n poet
who published under the name Francis Webb. "Diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia in the 1950s, he spent most of his adult life in and out of psychiatric hospitals, writing poetry against terrible odds." He is widely regarded as one of Australia's most prodigious poets and is recurringly anthologized.
. His mother was a socialite with a keen interest in ~horse racing. She died when he was two years old, and his father was hospitalised a year later. In 1928, Webb and his three sisters (Mavis, Claudia, and Leonie) were sent to live with their paternal grandparents, Charles and Amy Webb-Wagg, in Sydney
.
Webb wrote his first poems as a birthday present for his paternal grandmother when he was 7 years old, under the tutelage of an aunt who died before she could see them in print. When Webb was 14 years old his much loved grandfather died. Webb's first major individual publication came with the appearance of 'Palace of Dreams' in The Bulletin
(10 June 1942).
At the completion of high school, Webb considered entry into Sydney University on a scholarship, but this plan was disrupted by the Second World War. He enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force
between 1943 and 1945 and spent time during the war based in Canada
. His father died at Callan Park Hospital a few weeks after his demobilisation.
. In 1948, Angus & Robertson
published his first collection of poems, A Drum for Ben Boyd, with illustrations by Norman Lindsay
.
In 1949, after a period of employment, and the termination of his engagement to a Jewish girl named Ethel (whom he had met in Canada during the war), he set off for Britain. During this time, Webb's correspondence with Norman Lindsay faltered and he rejected illustrations proposed by Lindsay for his second collection, Leichhardt in Theatre, which was eventually published by Angus & Robertson in 1952 (minus illustrations). Webb's break from Lindsay marked his rejection of Lindsay's renowned anti-Semitism
. Angus & Robertson did not publish his work again until he had regained the full support of Douglas Stewart (editor of The Bulletin and Lindsay's friend) a few years later.
Soon after Webb's 1949 arrival in England
, he was confined to a mental asylum following a suicide attempt. His younger sister Leonie flew to England and retrieved her brother in 1950, stopping off at Rome
on the trip home. Once back in Australia, he endured a period of itinerancy combined with ecstatic episodes of writing in Galston, New South Wales
, Melbourne, Victoria, Semaphore, South Australia
, and Jamestown, South Australia
until 1953. The creative product of these years, including his famous poems 'Birthday' (about Adolf Hitler
's last hours) and 'The Canticle' (a poem about the life of Francis of Assisi
), was self-published in his third collection simply entitled Birthday (1953).
In late 1953 he returned to England. On his trip to England he made a stopover in India
, the inspiration for such poems as 'Song of Hunger' and 'Back Street in Calcutta'. But once in England he was confined at a number of asylums over a period of seven years. During this time he wrote many of the poems, including 'Eyre All Alone', which would comprise his fourth collection Socrates and other poems, eventually published in 1961.
Following a Commonwealth Literary Fund Fellowship, in 1958, and with the support of Douglas Stewart and other concerned Australian poets such as Rosemary Dobson
, David Campbell and Vincent Buckley
), his supervised release from David Rice Hospital (Norwich
, UK) was organised. His passport was returned to him and he came home to Australia in late 1960. His paternal grandmother died shortly after his return.
Webb spent the rest of his brief life in and out of New South Wales and Victorian psychiatric facilities. In 1964, Angus & Robertson published his fifth collection The Ghost of the Cock, then in 1969 released his well-known Collected Poems, with an unforgettable foreword by Sir Herbert Read (the eminent leading British critic in his day) that compared Webb's work on equal footing with that of major European and American poets Pasternak
, Lowell
, Rilke and Eliot
. After the publication of The Ghost of the Cock in 1964, Webb wrote eight substantial poems (two of which appear in Collected Poems while the rest can be found in the recent selection of his work in the online Australian literary journal Thylazine). In 1967, Webb was praised by the eminent critic Sir Herbert Read as "one of the greatest poets of our time . . . one of the most unjustly neglected poets of the century," and has since attracted substantial critical acclaim for his profound vision, his unique spiritual quest to discover the heart of things.
Francis Webb died on 27 November 1973 in Sydney's Rydalmere Psychiatric Hospital of a coronary occlusion. He is buried at Macquarie Park Cemetery in northern Sydney, with 'Sunset Hails a Rising' from his poem 'The Stations' upon his headstone.
In 2011, University of Western Australia Publishing released the most inclusive and error-free edition of Webb's Collected Poems to date, edited with notes by Toby Davidson from Macquarie University.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
who published under the name Francis Webb. "Diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia in the 1950s, he spent most of his adult life in and out of psychiatric hospitals, writing poetry against terrible odds." He is widely regarded as one of Australia's most prodigious poets and is recurringly anthologized.
Early life
Francis Webb was born in Adelaide, South Australia. His father was a musician, Director of the North Sydney Academy of Music before moving to Adelaide where he became the owner of a piano importing business in Grenfell StreetGrenfell Street, Adelaide
Grenfell Street is a main road in the north-east quarter of the Adelaide city centre, in Adelaide, South Australia. The street runs west-east from King William Street to East Terrace. On the other side of King William Street, it continues as Currie Street...
. His mother was a socialite with a keen interest in ~horse racing. She died when he was two years old, and his father was hospitalised a year later. In 1928, Webb and his three sisters (Mavis, Claudia, and Leonie) were sent to live with their paternal grandparents, Charles and Amy Webb-Wagg, in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
.
Webb wrote his first poems as a birthday present for his paternal grandmother when he was 7 years old, under the tutelage of an aunt who died before she could see them in print. When Webb was 14 years old his much loved grandfather died. Webb's first major individual publication came with the appearance of 'Palace of Dreams' in The Bulletin
The Bulletin
The Bulletin was an Australian weekly magazine that was published in Sydney from 1880 until January 2008. It was influential in Australian culture and politics from about 1890 until World War I, the period when it was identified with the "Bulletin school" of Australian literature. Its influence...
(10 June 1942).
At the completion of high school, Webb considered entry into Sydney University on a scholarship, but this plan was disrupted by the Second World War. He enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
between 1943 and 1945 and spent time during the war based in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. His father died at Callan Park Hospital a few weeks after his demobilisation.
Career
Webb enrolled at Sydney University in early 1946 but discontinued studies by mid-1946. His desire to write and travel saw his return to Canada in 1947, where he worked for the publisher MacmillanMacmillan Publishers
Macmillan Publishers Ltd, also known as The Macmillan Group, is a privately held international publishing company owned by Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. It has offices in 41 countries worldwide and operates in more than thirty others.-History:...
. In 1948, Angus & Robertson
Angus & Robertson
Angus & Robertson is a bookstore chain in Australia. Its first bookstore was opened in 110½ Market Street, Sydney by Scotsman David Angus in 1884; it sold second-hand books. In 1886, he went into partnership with fellow Scot, George Robertson with whom he had worked earlier.- Bookselling history...
published his first collection of poems, A Drum for Ben Boyd, with illustrations by Norman Lindsay
Norman Lindsay
Norman Alfred William Lindsay was an Australian artist, sculptor, writer, editorial cartoonist, scale modeler, and boxer. He was born in Creswick, Victoria....
.
In 1949, after a period of employment, and the termination of his engagement to a Jewish girl named Ethel (whom he had met in Canada during the war), he set off for Britain. During this time, Webb's correspondence with Norman Lindsay faltered and he rejected illustrations proposed by Lindsay for his second collection, Leichhardt in Theatre, which was eventually published by Angus & Robertson in 1952 (minus illustrations). Webb's break from Lindsay marked his rejection of Lindsay's renowned anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
. Angus & Robertson did not publish his work again until he had regained the full support of Douglas Stewart (editor of The Bulletin and Lindsay's friend) a few years later.
Soon after Webb's 1949 arrival in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, he was confined to a mental asylum following a suicide attempt. His younger sister Leonie flew to England and retrieved her brother in 1950, stopping off at Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
on the trip home. Once back in Australia, he endured a period of itinerancy combined with ecstatic episodes of writing in Galston, New South Wales
Galston, New South Wales
Galston is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Galston is located 36 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Hornsby Shire and is part of the North Shore region....
, Melbourne, Victoria, Semaphore, South Australia
Semaphore, South Australia
Semaphore is a north-western seaside suburb of Adelaide of the LeFevre Peninsula 14km from the CBD, in the state of South Australia, Australia and falls under the City of Port Adelaide Enfield. It is adjacent to Semaphore South, Glanville, Exeter and Largs Bay. The postcode for Semaphore is 5019...
, and Jamestown, South Australia
Jamestown, South Australia
Jamestown is a town in the Mid North region of South Australia north of Adelaide. It is on the banks of the Belalie Creek and on the railway line between Gladstone and Peterborough, and ultimately on the main line linking Adelaide and Perth to Sydney...
until 1953. The creative product of these years, including his famous poems 'Birthday' (about Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's last hours) and 'The Canticle' (a poem about the life of Francis of Assisi
Francis of Assisi
Saint Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the lay Third Order of Saint Francis. St...
), was self-published in his third collection simply entitled Birthday (1953).
In late 1953 he returned to England. On his trip to England he made a stopover in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, the inspiration for such poems as 'Song of Hunger' and 'Back Street in Calcutta'. But once in England he was confined at a number of asylums over a period of seven years. During this time he wrote many of the poems, including 'Eyre All Alone', which would comprise his fourth collection Socrates and other poems, eventually published in 1961.
Following a Commonwealth Literary Fund Fellowship, in 1958, and with the support of Douglas Stewart and other concerned Australian poets such as Rosemary Dobson
Rosemary Dobson
Rosemary de Brissac Dobson AO is an award winning Australian poet, who is also significant as an illustrator, editor and anthologist...
, David Campbell and Vincent Buckley
Vincent Buckley
Vincent Thomas Buckley was an Australian poet, teacher, editor, essayist and critic.-Life:He was born in 1925 in Romsey, Victoria and was educated at both the University of Melbourne and the :University of Cambridge, and died in Melbourne in 1988..Buckley edited the magazine, Prospect, from 1958...
), his supervised release from David Rice Hospital (Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
, UK) was organised. His passport was returned to him and he came home to Australia in late 1960. His paternal grandmother died shortly after his return.
Webb spent the rest of his brief life in and out of New South Wales and Victorian psychiatric facilities. In 1964, Angus & Robertson published his fifth collection The Ghost of the Cock, then in 1969 released his well-known Collected Poems, with an unforgettable foreword by Sir Herbert Read (the eminent leading British critic in his day) that compared Webb's work on equal footing with that of major European and American poets Pasternak
Boris Pasternak
Boris Leonidovich Pasternak was a Russian language poet, novelist, and literary translator. In his native Russia, Pasternak's anthology My Sister Life, is one of the most influential collections ever published in the Russian language...
, Lowell
Robert Lowell
Robert Traill Spence Lowell IV was an American poet, considered the founder of the confessional poetry movement. He was appointed the sixth Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress where he served from 1947 until 1948...
, Rilke and Eliot
T. S. Eliot
Thomas Stearns "T. S." Eliot OM was a playwright, literary critic, and arguably the most important English-language poet of the 20th century. Although he was born an American he moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 and was naturalised as a British subject in 1927 at age 39.The poem that made his...
. After the publication of The Ghost of the Cock in 1964, Webb wrote eight substantial poems (two of which appear in Collected Poems while the rest can be found in the recent selection of his work in the online Australian literary journal Thylazine). In 1967, Webb was praised by the eminent critic Sir Herbert Read as "one of the greatest poets of our time . . . one of the most unjustly neglected poets of the century," and has since attracted substantial critical acclaim for his profound vision, his unique spiritual quest to discover the heart of things.
Francis Webb died on 27 November 1973 in Sydney's Rydalmere Psychiatric Hospital of a coronary occlusion. He is buried at Macquarie Park Cemetery in northern Sydney, with 'Sunset Hails a Rising' from his poem 'The Stations' upon his headstone.
In 2011, University of Western Australia Publishing released the most inclusive and error-free edition of Webb's Collected Poems to date, edited with notes by Toby Davidson from Macquarie University.
Awards
- 1973 - Australian Literature Society Gold MedalALS Gold MedalThe Australian Literature Society Gold Medal is awarded annually by the Association for the Study of Australian Literature for “an outstanding literary work in the preceding calendar year.” From 1928 to 1974 it was awarded by the Australian Literature Society, then from 1983 by the Association for...
- Christopher Brennan AwardChristopher Brennan AwardThe Christopher Brennan Award is an Australian award given for lifetime achievement in poetry. The award, established circa 1976, takes the form of a bronze plaque; it recognizes a poet who produces work of "sustained quality and distinction"...
, awarded posthumously
Works By Francis Webb
- A Drum for Ben Boyd. (1948)
- Leichardt in Theatre. (1952)
- Birthday. (1953)
- Socrates and other Poems. (1961)
- Ghost of the Cock. (1964)
- Collected Poems. (1969; 1977)
- Poets on Record (Australian Poets Read from their Own Work). (1975)
- The Poetry of Francis Webb. (1991)
- Collected Poems. (2011)
External links
- The Poetry of Francis Webb at Thylazine
- Francis Webb: Poet and Brother. Some of His Letters and Poetry. Peter and Leonie Meere.
- Rowe, Noel (2005) "Poetry, Theology and Emptiness: The angel did not draw attention to himself" in Australian EJournal of Theology August 2005, Issue 5 ISSN 1448-632 Accessed: 25 July 2007
Other Resources
- Patricia Excel "'Before Two Girls': A Lost Poem by Francis Webb" in Southerly Vol. 53, No. 3, 1993.
- Michael Griffith God's Fool: The Life and Poetry of Francis Webb Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1991.
- Richard Hillman Cultural Metamorphosis: Lacan, Zizek and the Poetry of Francis Webb doctoral thesis, Flinders University of South Australia, 2004
- Graeme Kinross-Smith "The Gull in a Green Storm – A Profile of Francis Webb (1925-1973)" in Westerly Vol. 26, No. 2, 1981.
- Andrew Lynch "Remaking the Middle Ages in Australia: Francis Webb's 'The Canticle' (1953)" in Australian Literary Studies Vol. 19, No. 1, 1999.
- Peter Meere & Leonie Meere Francis Webb: Poet and Brother Pomona, Queensland: Sage Old Books, 2001.
- Francis Webb 'Palace of Dreams' in The Bulletin 1942.