Jean Ingelow (1820–1897)

Jean Ingelow is almost forgotten today -- I pulled down most of my poetry anthologies, and found only one thing, "Seven Times One." Her one other poem that seems to be remembered is "High Tide on the Coast of Lancashire," which is simply too affected for my taste. If truth be told, I learned about her not because of her poetry but because she was for a time involved with Francis Crozier, the second-in-command on Sir John Franklin's fatal expedition to the Northwest Passage.

So don't expect anything really spectacular among her works.

And yet, it isn't bad. The "Song of Sevens" is a fascinating concept: A woman tells of her life in seven scenes, seven years apart: Exultation, Romance, Love, Maternity, Widowhood, Giving in Marriage, Longing for Home. These chapters vary in style and approach (and quality), but the first is a moving depiction of childhood:

There’s no dew left on the daisies and clover,
There’s no rain left in heaven;
I’ve said my “seven times” over and over,
Seven times one are seven.

I am old, I am old, I can write a letter;
My birthday lessons are done;
The lambs play always, they know no better;
They are only one times one.

Dig enough and you may find a few other small gems. Big ones -- probably not.

Ingelow also wrote fairy tales for children, notably "Mopsa the Fairy." Those tales are not included in this book. Too bad, really; the plot of "Mopsa" is intriguing.… (més)