Mr Coventry Patmore's Odes

Name: Mr Coventry Patmore's Odes
Author: Alice Meynell

MR. COVENTRY PATMORE'S ODES is a collection of poems written by Alice Meynell in the late 19th century. The poems are a tribute to the life and works of Coventry Patmore, a British poet and critic who was known for his contributions to the Victorian literary scene. The book is a testament to Meynell's admiration for Patmore's writing and her desire to preserve his legacy through her own poetry. The poems in this collection are characterized by their rich imagery, nuanced language, and deep emotional resonance. Meynell's use of metaphor, symbolism, and other literary devices creates a vivid picture of Patmore's life and work, while also exploring themes such as love, loss, and the passage of time. Overall, MR. COVENTRY PATMORE'S ODES is a thoughtful and moving tribute to a significant figure in Victorian literature, and it remains an important work in the field of poetry to this day.

By Alice Meynell · First published 1890 · Genre: Literary Criticism, Biography, Poetry · 1,809 words

First lines

To most of the great poets no greater praise can be given than praise of their imagery. Imagery is the natural language of their poetry. Without a parable she hardly speaks. But undoubtedly there is now and then a poet who touches the thing, not its likeness, too vitally, too sensitively, for even such a pause as the verse makes for love of the beautiful image. Those rare moments are simple, and their simplicity makes one of the reader's keenest experiences. Other simplicities may be achieved by lesser art, but this is transcendent simplicity. There is nothing in the world more costly. It vouches for the beauty which it transcends; it answer for the riches it forbears; it implies the art which it fulfils. All abundance ministers to it, though it is so single. And here we get the sacrificial quality which is the well-kept secret of art at this perfection. All the faculties of the poet are used for preparing this naked greatness -- are used and fruitfully spent and shed. The loveliness that stands and waits on the simplicity of certain of Mr. Coventry Patmore's Odes, the fervours and splendours that are there, only to be put to silence -- to silence of a kind that would be impossible were they less glorious -- are testimonies to the difference between sacrifice and waste.

What this Textopian page supports

Mr Coventry Patmore's Odes is listed on Textopian as a poem by Alice Meynell, dated 1890 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Poem
Author: Alice Meynell
Date: 1890 CE
Language: English
Genres: Literary Criticism, Biography, Poetry
Length: 1,809 words
Structure: 1 section, 12 paragraphs
Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)

Good citation fit

Work identity for Mr Coventry Patmore's Odes by Alice Meynell
Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
Readability and classroom-planning context
Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

Discussion starters

What should a reader notice first when entering Mr Coventry Patmore's Odes?
How does this poem by Alice Meynell fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
Where does Literary Criticism first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

Genres

Literary Criticism — This book is a review and an analysis of the odes of Mr. Coventry Patmore by Alice Meynell, making it a work of literary criticism.
Biography — Although not a traditional biography, the book includes elements of Coventry Patmore's life as a method of analyzing his odes.
Poetry — While the book is primarily a study of Patmore's odes, Meynell's own writing is poetic in nature.