tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499661274163551793.post8917331396419936307..comments2024-01-02T15:12:14.699+00:00Comments on War Poetry: John Jarmain (slight return)Tim Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17917270014209480898noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499661274163551793.post-84765843076833512062021-05-01T16:10:49.700+01:002021-05-01T16:10:49.700+01:00Obtained a copy of priddy narrows over 20 yrs ago ...Obtained a copy of priddy narrows over 20 yrs ago from a charity shop had no dust jacket a few years later I found it had a picture of himself stuck inside front cover signed from himself to previous owner of the book I will always treasure this as priddy barrow was printed after he fellAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17062817875955846690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499661274163551793.post-18063836033731166392011-02-07T10:25:11.837+00:002011-02-07T10:25:11.837+00:00Wow! I saw his grave, or name on the wall of the m...Wow! I saw his grave, or name on the wall of the missing. I live in north Africa, Tunisia. Nice article. I really like his poems.Mario Maniachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08866622078250825164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499661274163551793.post-9845290862457659232010-04-27T12:28:01.802+01:002010-04-27T12:28:01.802+01:00I'm glad you enjoyed my review of 'Priddy ...I'm glad you enjoyed my review of 'Priddy Barrows'. I also have a copy of Jarmain's 'Poems'. Of the two books, it was the easier to find, although copies are still quite rare. I think I first came across Jarmain in the 'Middle East Anthology of Prose and Verse', edited by John Waller and Erik de Mauny. Or it might have been one of the Oasis anthologies. It was the connection to Cairo during WWII which led me to those books. I'm a big fan of Lawrence Durrell's works, and he was one of the founders of the Personal Landscape group of poets in Egypt at that time. Another poet from the same period I also like a great deal is Bernard Spencer.Ian Saleshttp://iansales.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499661274163551793.post-23950918276545462412010-03-17T19:25:15.690+00:002010-03-17T19:25:15.690+00:00'Orchids' is definitely worth tracking dow...'Orchids' is definitely worth tracking down, as, in my opinion, is 'Thinking of War'. It seems to me that Jarmain wears his influences without anxiety - having been privileged enough to see his unpublished letters, it strikes me that he faces his relationships with his predecessors with an ease uncommon, perhaps, amongst others. Owen, for example, is clearly visible in 'Prisoners of War'.<br /><br />'Fear' is another poem worthy of attention, I'd say. Copies of his 'Poems' are out there; mine's an ex-East Riding County Library copy, sourced through a second-hand bookshop in Blackheath about eight or nine years ago...Dawnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499661274163551793.post-25253623422085199852010-03-17T01:52:23.643+00:002010-03-17T01:52:23.643+00:00There are three copies of Priddy Barrows listed at...There are three copies of Priddy Barrows listed at Bookfinder.com, priced from US $26.51 to $222.33. I'm not sure why the latter is priced so high. The low-priced copy is a reading copy in rough shape, but the in-betweener sounds like it's quite acceptable, albeit without a dust jacket, and going for $37.22. Readers of this blog will undoubtedly snap up all but the overpriced copy!Patrick Murthahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08103905929956454199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499661274163551793.post-31437161734428601032010-03-16T19:15:51.941+00:002010-03-16T19:15:51.941+00:00I agree that 'El Alamein' is clearly the b...I agree that 'El Alamein' is clearly the best. 'Orchids', which doesn't seem to be available online, is better than 'At a War Grave' and 'Prisoners of War', but even there you can see too easily what Jarmain has been reading. The poem opens, 'Someone suddenly sang in the darkness', which is far too close to Sassoon's 'Everyone suddenly burst out singing'.<br /><br />Glad that you are enjoying the Wyeth!Tim Kendallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17917270014209480898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499661274163551793.post-30113513573554137272010-03-16T16:16:39.501+00:002010-03-16T16:16:39.501+00:00Thanks to your links I read the three accessible J...Thanks to your links I read the three accessible Jarmain poems; call me irresponsive, but only "El Alamein" merits the praise... a rhythmically awkward opening line, a brilliant truncated finish, and much to admire in between, not least the slant-rhymes moving his circling thoughts smoothly onward. "Grave" draws too much from Shelley's "Ozymandias," and "Prisoners" just meanders. (Regarding your comment about the latter, I much prefer the grimness of Wyeth whose book I have now purchased and am reading with great interest; he truly deserves rescuing as America's entry in the War Poetry annals.)Ed Leimbacherhttp://www.mrebks.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499661274163551793.post-5227492999666281172010-03-16T14:49:38.072+00:002010-03-16T14:49:38.072+00:00I'm afraid I don't know, Dru. The best per...I'm afraid I don't know, Dru. The best person to ask is Ian Sales, who owns a copy. This is his blog: http://iansales.com/<br /><br />You're right that it looks like his style. See here: http://dysgle.llgc.org.uk/assets/images/rowntree.jpgTim Kendallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17917270014209480898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499661274163551793.post-42624552286600363492010-03-16T14:20:08.627+00:002010-03-16T14:20:08.627+00:00That's a nice picture on the cover of Priddy B...That's a nice picture on the cover of Priddy Barrows. Hunting for a higher res version got me nowhere, though. I wonder if it's by Kenneth Rowntree?Dru Marlandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03697874363783821382noreply@blogger.com