Most Read... John McAuliffeBill Manhire in Conversation with John McAuliffe
(PN Review 259)
Patricia CraigVal Warner: A Reminiscence
(PN Review 259)
Eavan BolandA Lyric Voice at Bay
(PN Review 121)
Joshua WeinerAn Exchange with Daniel Tiffany/Fall 2020
(PN Review 259)
Vahni CapildeoOn Judging Prizes, & Reading More than Six Really Good Books
(PN Review 237)
Christopher MiddletonNotes on a Viking Prow
(PN Review 10)
Next Issue Kirsty Gunn re-arranges the world John McAuliffe reads Seamus Heaney's letters and translations Chris Price's 'Songs of Allegiance' David Herman on Aharon Appelfeld Victoria Moul on Christopher Childers compendious Greek and Latin Lyric Book Philip Terry again answers the question, 'What is Poetry'
Poems Articles Interviews Reports Reviews Contributors
Reader Survey
PN Review Substack

This poem is taken from PN Review 2, Volume 4 Number 2, January - March 1978.

Biography of the Author Charles Tomlinson

Or what Rumour and History Compounded
concerning the life of the late Sir John Denham 1615-69

He was born in Dublin, but two years later
before the Foggy Air of that Climate could influence
or any way adulterate his mind,
was brought from thence. Where he went to school
remains uncertain. At Oxford
he continued about three years, being looked upon
as a slow and dreaming young man
and given more to his cards and dice
than to study. After his refusing to pay a debt
to the college recorder and having told him
I never intended that
the President rattled him at a lecture in the chapell:
Thy father the judge he said haz hanged
many an honester man
. It was at college
...


Searching, please wait... animated waiting image