Gavin Ewart
Encyclopedia
Gavin Buchanan Ewart was a British
poet best known for contributing to Geoffrey Grigson
's New Verse at the age of seventeen.
where he received a B.A.
in 1937 and an M.A.
in 1942.
After active service as a Royal Artillery
officer during World War II
, he worked in publishing and with the British Council before becoming an advertising copywriter in 1952.
The Second World War disrupted his development as a poet, however, and he published no further volumes until "Londoners" of 1964, though he did write the English lyrics for the 'World Song' of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. From 1964 he produced many collections, which included "The Gavin Ewart Show" (1971), "No Fool like an Old Fool" (1976), "All My Little Ones" (1978), "The Ewart Quarto" (1984), and "Penultimate Poems" (1989). "The Collected Ewart: 1933-1980" (1980) was supplemented in 1991 by "Collected Poems: 1980-1990".
The intelligence and casually flamboyant virtuosity with which he framed his often humorous commentaries on human behaviour made his work invariably entertaining and interesting. The irreverent eroticism for which his poetry is noted resulted in W H Smith
's banning of his "The Pleasures of the Flesh" (1966) from their shops.
As an editor he produced numerous anthologies, including the "Penguin Book of Light Verse" (1980). He was the 1991 recipient of the Michael Braude Award for Light Verse
.
Gavin Ewart's life and poetry are the subject of a book titled "Civil Humor: the Poetry of Gavin Ewart" by Stephen W. Delchamps (Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2002).
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
poet best known for contributing to Geoffrey Grigson
Geoffrey Grigson
Geoffrey Edward Harvey Grigson was a British writer. He was born in Pelynt, a village near Looe in Cornwall.-Life:...
's New Verse at the age of seventeen.
Life
He was born in London and educated at the prestigious Wellington College before entering Christ's College, CambridgeChrist's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
where he received a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1937 and an M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in 1942.
After active service as a Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
officer during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he worked in publishing and with the British Council before becoming an advertising copywriter in 1952.
Poetry
From the age of 17, when his poetry was first printed in Geoffrey Grigson's New Verse, he acquired a reputation for wit and accomplishment through such works as "Phallus in Wonderland" and "Poems and Songs", which appeared in 1939 and was his first collection.The Second World War disrupted his development as a poet, however, and he published no further volumes until "Londoners" of 1964, though he did write the English lyrics for the 'World Song' of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. From 1964 he produced many collections, which included "The Gavin Ewart Show" (1971), "No Fool like an Old Fool" (1976), "All My Little Ones" (1978), "The Ewart Quarto" (1984), and "Penultimate Poems" (1989). "The Collected Ewart: 1933-1980" (1980) was supplemented in 1991 by "Collected Poems: 1980-1990".
The intelligence and casually flamboyant virtuosity with which he framed his often humorous commentaries on human behaviour made his work invariably entertaining and interesting. The irreverent eroticism for which his poetry is noted resulted in W H Smith
W H Smith
WHSmith plc is a British retailer, headquartered in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. It is best known for its chain of high street, railway station, airport, hospital and motorway service station shops selling books, stationery, magazines, newspapers, and entertainment products...
's banning of his "The Pleasures of the Flesh" (1966) from their shops.
As an editor he produced numerous anthologies, including the "Penguin Book of Light Verse" (1980). He was the 1991 recipient of the Michael Braude Award for Light Verse
Michael Braude Award for Light Verse
The Michael Braude Award for Light Verse is a biennial award given for light verse in the English language, regardless of the author's nationality. It is presented by the American Academy of Arts and Letters and is accompanied by a $5,000 payment. Mrs...
.
Gavin Ewart's life and poetry are the subject of a book titled "Civil Humor: the Poetry of Gavin Ewart" by Stephen W. Delchamps (Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2002).
External links
- Obituary by Anthony ThwaiteAnthony ThwaiteAnthony Simon Thwaite, OBE, is an English poet and writer. He is married to the writer Ann Thwaite. He was awarded the OBE in 1992, for services to poetry. He was mainly brought up in Yorkshire and currently lives in Norfolk....
in The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily... - Obituary (additional information) by David GascoyneDavid GascoyneDavid Gascoyne was an English poet associated with the Surrealist movement.-Early life and Surrealism:...
in The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...