Walter Savage Landor lived from 1775 to 1864.
During his long and active life of eighty-nine years he produced a considerable amount of work in various genres, prose, lyric poetry and political commentary.
Landor’s prose is best represented by his "Imaginary Conversations" where he drew on a vast array of historical characters from Greek philosophers to contemporary writers and composed conversations between pairs of characters that covered areas of philosophy, politics, romance and many other topics.
He also wrote much sensitive and beautiful poetry. The love poems were inspired by a succession of female romantic ideals
However, I have ignored all of those and have chosen one of his shortest poems - for a special reason.
In three months' time I shall be celebrating my 75th birthday, so you will appreciate the relevance of today's poem.
However, I am certainly not yet 'ready to depart'
ON HIS SEVENTY-FIFTH BIRTHDAY
I strove with none, for none was worth my strife;
Nature I loved, and next to Nature, Art;
I warmed both hands before the fire of Life;
It sinks, and I am ready to depart.
I have returned to this blog to add a longer poem, which is perhaps more typical of Landor's style.
THE DRAGON FLY
Life (priest and poet say) is but a dream;
I wish no happier one than to be laid
Beneath a cool syringa’s scented shade,
Or wavy willow, by the running stream,
Brimful of moral, where the dragon-fly,
Wanders as careless and content as I.
Thanks for this fancy, insect king,
Of purple crest and filmy wing,
Who with indifference givest up
The water-lily’s golden cup,
To come again and overlook
What I am writing in my book.
Believe me, most who read the line
Will read with hornier eyes than thine;
And yet their souls shall live for ever,
And thine drop dead into the river!
God pardon them, O insect king,
Who fancy so unjust a thing!
