A Grave Tale
10 October 2012
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: A Grave Tale, Stainless Steel Droppings RIP
As part of Stainless Steel’s RIP event today I am posting about Graveyards. In keeping with my blog, which is mainly about books, I decided to give this a bit of an emphasis on poetry. Okay, firstly, I don’t know a lot about poetry and frankly I don’t read a lot of it on a regular basis so I’m definitely no expert. However, I started having a look for a poem and instead of coming up with just a poem I came up with the Graveyard Poets. No doubt everybody but me knows about the Graveyard Poets! But, just in case there is the odd person out there who shares my lack of knowledge below is a little paragraph I found on Wiki:
“The “Graveyard Poets” were a number of pre-Romantic English poets of the 18th century characterised by their gloomy meditations on mortality, ‘skulls and coffins, epitaphs and worms’ in the context of the graveyard. To this was added, by later practitioners, a feeling for the ‘sublime’ and uncanny, and an interest in ancient English poetic forms and folk poetry. They are often reckoned as precursors of the Gothic genre.”
The earliest poem that seems to be recognised from this group was from Thomas Parnell in 1721 and was called ‘A night Piece on Death’. This is a fairly lengthy poem but I’ve pasted below a little section which I particularly enjoyed reading (with my macabre taste and all) probably because it’s Death doing the speaking:
“When men my scythe and darts supply,
How great a King of Fears am I!
They view me like the last of things:
They make, and then they dread, my stings.
Fools! if you less provoked your fears,
No more my spectre-form appears.
Death’s but a path that must be trod,
If man would ever pass to God;
A port of calms, a state of ease
From the rough rage of swelling seas.”
Me likey! I’m not posting any more poems – I don’t think I can exceed my little quote from Death! I hope you enjoy it and maybe you’ll enjoy some of the other gothic poetry from this era!
Below, to accompany this piece is a lovely picture of Highgate Cemetery which I just couldn’t resist putting in here with a link to their wonderful site here! (I was going to write something about Highgate which I first had my attention captured by when reading Audrey Niffeneger’s Her Fearful Symmetry.
Thornton Piano, Highgate Cemetery, Photo by John Cox
That photo could be taken straight out of a Tim Burton movie – a piano! In a Graveyard!! And just look at the colours – it’s positively surreal! If you want to look at the link to the site where I found this just look here.
Books and travelling with Lynn 
That piano is so spooky–and you’re right, SO Tim Burton! All it needs is a skeleton pounding away at the keys.
I know – I was looking for a spooky picture, the grim reaper or some such and I saw that picture of the piano in Highgate Cemetery. Apparently this was taken some time ago and I don’t think it’s in as good condition now, but it is just brilliant.
Lynn 😀
I need to get to Highgate Cemetery some day! Great picture, that looks like a movie set – love it.
I would also love to go there – the website has just intrigued me even more. Apparently there are tours all run by a Friends Group. It looks pretty cool and I love that the place is being cared for!
Lynn 😀
That piano is awesome, in a freaky way. Graveyard poets–I had no idea.
I know – I was like, no way! A piano, really? It’s so cool though. I’d never heard of the Graveyard Poets – I was actually looking for a spooky but almost fun poem about graves and eye sockets and worms, you know, and this is what popped up – all over the place – there was actually no getting away from it!
Lynn 😀
That piano is incredible–I’ve never seen anything like that although I have seen a car gravestone in a photo.
What an interesting idea to bring in graveyard poets. Very cool. I also like Gray’s Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, especially this line:
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness on the desert air.
Do you know I think I could really enjoy poetry – I probably need a few pointers though! I love that Elegy, it’s really touching.
Lynn 😀
Thanks for sharing the poem! I’ve never had the opportunity to experience it before. Also, the piano photo is simply amazing. What a unique and interesting headstone.
I do love that picture – it so makes me think of Tim Burton and the Corpse Bride!
Lynn 😀
That piano gravestone reminds me of the Addam’s family graveyard which had lots of weird and wonderful stones.
Ha, I never even thought about the Adams Family – I must go and check out some images….
Lynn 😀
Lynn, Thank you for your kind words about my photograph. And thank you for including it in your blog. John N. Cox
It’s a great picture – I really do love it!
Lynn 😀