Curved up against the Harrow road in London is one of the 'Magnificent Seven' cemeteries that began to girdle the capital in the Victorian Age. Gone were the overcrowded disease ridden Parish churchyards and here was a new way to rest for eternity. Acre upon acre of meandering lawn and tree lined avenues. Ornate catacombs. Beautiful sculptured memorials. Stately chapels. All enmeshed into Nature's emotions. Peace, perfect peace. In this volume we bring you the works of Kensal Rises most famous residents: Anthony Trollope, Wilkie Collins, William Makepeace Thackeray, Alice Meynell and Thomas Hood. And we start with the poem by GK Chesterton who although not buried here immortalised it with 'The Rolling English Road'.
Alice Christiana Gertrude Thompson was born on 22nd September 1847 in Barnes, London.Her family travelled widely meaning that Alice's early years were spent around England, Switzerland, and France before finally settling in Italy. Her dedicated interest in religion brought a conversion to the Catholic faith. Much of that viewpoint is seen in her first published volume in 1875, 'Preludes'.In 1876 she married Wilfred Meynell, the newspaper publisher and editor and together they set up and published a number of magazines as well as publishing the initial works of several poets including Francis Thompson.Despite a hectic lifestyle of her own poetry and essays together with the family business she gave birth to eight children. Her health though was erratic, and she was frequently incapacitated by illness including migraines and depressions.As the new century dawned she along with many other artists began to question the colonial needs of Empire with its segregation and oppression. In particular she sought and gained a role in the Women's Suffrage movement as it attempted to obtain greater equality for women. Today Alice is often overlooked for the quality and stature of her poetry which, during her career brought serious official consideration. She was twice considered but passed over for the post of poet laureate after the deaths of Alfred Lord Tennyson and Alfred Austin.Alice Meynell died on 27th November 1922. She is buried in Kensal Green Cemetery in London.
Victorian Poetry - Volume 3 - An Introduction. Victoria's reign was long and presided over the restless expansion of the British Empire and reams of creative genius. Within these volumes we can bring only a glimpse of the richness, beauty and words of their poets and their musings on this remarkable age. Many are world renowned - Tennyson, Browning, Arnold, Kipling, Austin, Hopkins, Hardy and Swinburne. Some almost forgotten - Patmore, Newbolt, Synge. And some barely noted - Lyall, Meynell and Merdeith. But together they encompass a great poetical age. In Volume 3 we collect together Alice Meynell to WB Yeats. Among our readers are Richard Mitchley and Ghizela Rowe.
