All These I Learnt by Robert Byron
In his book, All These I Learnt, Robert Byron recounts his travels through the Middle East, India, and Central Asia in the 1930s. He describes the people he meets, the places he visits, and the customs and cultures he encounters. He also reflects on the political and social changes that were taking place in the region at the time. The book is divided into three parts. In the first part, Byron travels through the Middle East, visiting Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and Iraq. He describes the ancient ruins he visits, the people he meets, and the customs and cultures he encounters. He also reflects on the political and social changes that were taking place in the region at the time. In the second part, Byron travels through India, visiting cities such as Delhi, Bombay, and Calcutta. He describes the people he meets, the places he visits, and the customs and cultures he encounters. He also reflects on the political and social changes that were taking place in the region at the time. In the third part, Byron travels through Central Asia, visiting cities such as Kabul, Samarkand, and Bokhara. He describes the people he meets, the places he visits, and the customs and cultures he encounters. He also reflects on the political and social changes that were taking place in the region at the time. Throughout the book, Byron reflects on the changes he sees in the region and the impact of colonialism and imperialism on the people and cultures he encounters. He also reflects on his own experiences and how they have shaped his understanding of the world. All These I Learnt is an engaging and insightful account of Byron’s travels and reflections.
By Robert Byron · First published 1941 · Genre: Memoir, Autobiography, Non-Fiction · 629 words
First lines
If I have a son, he shall salute the lords and ladies who unfurl green hoods to the March rains, and shall know them afterwards by their scarlet fruit. He shall know the celandine, and the frigid, sightless flowers of the woods, spurge and spurge laurel, dogs' mercury, wood-sorrel and queer four-leaved herb-paris fit to trim a bonnet with its purple dot. He shall see the marshes gold with flags and kingcups and find shepherd's purse on a slag-heap. He shall know the tree-flowers, scented lime-tassels, blood-pink larch-tufts, white strands of the Spanish chestnut and tattered oak-plumes. He shall know orchids, mauve-winged bees and claret-coloured flies climbing up from mottled leaves. He shall see June red and white with ragged robin and cow parsley and the two campions. He shall tell a dandelion from sow thistle or goat's beard. He shall know the field flowers, lady's bedstraw and lady's slipper, purple mallow, blue chicory and the cranesbills--dusky, bloody, and blue as heaven. In the cool summer wind he shall listen to the rattle of harebells against the whistle of a distant train, shall watch clover blush and scabious nod, pinch the ample veitches, and savour the virgin turf. He shall know grasses, timothy and wag-wanton, and dust his finger-tips in Yorkshire fog. By the river he shall know pink willow-herb and purple spikes of loosestrife, and the sweetshop smell of water-mint where the rat dives silently from its hole. He shall know the velvet leaves and yellow spike of the old dowager, mullein, recognise the whole company of thistles, and greet the relatives of the nettle, wound-wort and hore-hound, yellow rattle, betony, bugle and archangel. In autumn, he shall know the hedge lanterns, hips and haws and bryony. At Christmas he shall climb an old apple-tree for mistletoe, and know whom to kiss and how.
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All These I Learnt is listed on Textopian as a short story by Robert Byron, dated 1941 CE.
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- Work type: Short story
- Author: Robert Byron
- Date: 1941 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Memoir, Autobiography, Non-Fiction, Biography
- Length: 629 words
- Structure: 1 section, 18 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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Genres
- Memoir — The title suggests that the book is a reflection on the author's life and experiences, which is a common theme in memoirs.
- Autobiography — The title suggests that the book is a reflection on the author's life and experiences, which is a common theme in autobiographies.
- Non-Fiction — The title suggests that the book is a reflection on the author's life and experiences, which is a common theme in non-fiction works.
- Biography — The title suggests that the book is a reflection on the author's life and experiences, which is a common theme in biographies.
Tags
Afghanistan · India · Middle East · Persia · Tibet · admiral · blue · brown · climb · content · flowers · fog