Wilfrid Wilson Gibson
Encyclopedia
Wilfrid Wilson Gibson was a British Georgian poet
, associated with World War I
but also the author of much later work.
, Northumberland
and left the north for London in 1914 after his mother died. He had been publishing poems in magazines since 1895, and the collections Stonefolds, On The Threshold, were published by the Wayland publishers in 1914, and followed by The Web of Life in 1908.
Despite his residence in London and later on in Gloucestershire
, many of Gibson's poems both then and later, have Northumberland settings: Hexham's Market Cross; Hareshaw; and The Kielder Stone. Others deal with poverty and passion amid wild Northumbrian landscapes. Still others are devoted to fishermen, industrial workers and miners, often alluding to local ballads and the rich folk-song heritage of the North East.
It was in London that he met both Edward Marsh and Rupert Brooke
, becoming a close friend and later Brooke's literary executor
(with Lascelles Abercrombie
and Walter de la Mare
). This was at the period when the first Georgian Poetry
anthology was being hatched. Gibson was one of the insiders.
During the early part of his writing life, Wilfrid Wilson Gibson wrote poems that featured the "macabre." One such poem is Flannan Isle
, based on a real life mystery.
Gibson was one of the founders of the so-called ”Dymock Poets
”, a community of writers who settled briefly, before the outbreak of the Great War, in the village of Dymock
, in north Gloucestershire.
-T. S. Eliot
school of Modernist poetry
; his work remained popular.
Georgian poets
The Georgian poets were, by the strictest definition, those whose works appeared in a series of five anthologies named Georgian Poetry, published by Harold Monro and edited by Edward Marsh. The first volume contained poems written in 1911 and 1912. The poets included Edmund Blunden, Rupert Brooke,...
, associated with World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
but also the author of much later work.
Early work
Gibson was born in HexhamHexham
Hexham is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, located south of the River Tyne, and was the administrative centre for the Tynedale district from 1974 to 2009. The three major towns in Tynedale were Hexham, Prudhoe and Haltwhistle, although in terms of population, Prudhoe was...
, Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
and left the north for London in 1914 after his mother died. He had been publishing poems in magazines since 1895, and the collections Stonefolds, On The Threshold, were published by the Wayland publishers in 1914, and followed by The Web of Life in 1908.
Despite his residence in London and later on in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, many of Gibson's poems both then and later, have Northumberland settings: Hexham's Market Cross; Hareshaw; and The Kielder Stone. Others deal with poverty and passion amid wild Northumbrian landscapes. Still others are devoted to fishermen, industrial workers and miners, often alluding to local ballads and the rich folk-song heritage of the North East.
It was in London that he met both Edward Marsh and Rupert Brooke
Rupert Brooke
Rupert Chawner Brooke was an English poet known for his idealistic war sonnets written during the First World War, especially The Soldier...
, becoming a close friend and later Brooke's literary executor
Literary executor
A literary executor is a person with decision-making power in respect of a literary estate. According to Wills, Administration and Taxation: a practical guide "A will may appoint different executors to deal with different parts of the estate...
(with Lascelles Abercrombie
Lascelles Abercrombie
Lascelles Abercrombie was a British poet and literary critic, one of the "Dymock poets"...
and Walter de la Mare
Walter de la Mare
Walter John de la Mare , OM CH was an English poet, short story writer and novelist, probably best remembered for his works for children and the poem "The Listeners"....
). This was at the period when the first Georgian Poetry
Georgian Poetry
Georgian Poetry was the title of a series of anthologies showcasing the work of a school of English poetry that established itself during the early years of the reign of King George V of the United Kingdom....
anthology was being hatched. Gibson was one of the insiders.
During the early part of his writing life, Wilfrid Wilson Gibson wrote poems that featured the "macabre." One such poem is Flannan Isle
Flannan Isle
Flannan Isle is a famous English poem by Wilfrid Wilson Gibson, first published in 1912. It refers to a mysterious incident that occurred on the Flannan Isles in 1900, when three lighthouse-keepers disappeared without explanation.-In popular culture:...
, based on a real life mystery.
Gibson was one of the founders of the so-called ”Dymock Poets
Dymock poets
The Dymock poets were a literary group of the early 20th century who made their home near the village of Dymock in Gloucestershire, England, near to the border with Herefordshire. They were Robert Frost, Lascelles Abercrombie, Rupert Brooke, Edward Thomas, Wilfrid Wilson Gibson, and John...
”, a community of writers who settled briefly, before the outbreak of the Great War, in the village of Dymock
Dymock
Dymock is a small village in the Forest of Dean district of Gloucestershire, England about four miles south of Ledbury, with a population of approx. 300 people....
, in north Gloucestershire.
Reputation
His reputation was eclipsed somewhat by the Ezra PoundEzra Pound
Ezra Weston Loomis Pound was an American expatriate poet and critic and a major figure in the early modernist movement in poetry...
-T. S. 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...
school of Modernist poetry
Modernist poetry
Modernist poetry refers to poetry written between 1890 and 1950 in the tradition of modernist literature in the English language, but the dates of the term depend upon a number of factors, including the nation of origin, the particular school in question, and the biases of the critic setting the...
; his work remained popular.
Further reading
- Dominic HibberdDominic HibberdDominic Hibberd is an English biographer, best known for his biographies of the poets Wilfred Owen and Harold Monro. He was formerly a teacher at Manchester Grammar School.-Works:*Wilfred Owen: The Last Year 1917-1918...
, Wilfrid Gibson and Harold Monro, the Pioneers (Cecil Woolf, 2006)
External links
- Page at Spartacus
- Elizabeth Whitcomb Houghton Collection, containing letters by Gibson
- Gloucestershire Poets, Writers and Artists Collection University of Gloucestershire Archives and Special Collections