Poems from Punch, 1909-1920
| Language | en |
|---|---|
| First published | 2026-02-01 |
| Rights | Public domain in the USA. |
| Gutenberg ID | #77833 |
Description
"Poems from Punch, 1909-1920" by W. Brooks Drayton Henderson is a collection of poems written in the early 20th century. Gathering light verse and lyrical pieces from Punch magazine and framed by an introductory essay, it showcases British wit through pre-war, wartime, and post-war moods. Expect social satire, urbane whimsy, patriotic elegy, and sports-and-sea pieces alongside nature lyrics and seasonal sketches. The opening of this collection presents Henderson’s essay on the “Comic Spirit,” defining comedy as the swift triumph of the seemingly small over the seemingly great, illustrated from nursery rhyme and painting to Meredith and Tchaikovsky, and tying Punch’s verse to a humane, socially rooted resilience (especially through the war). A prefatory note acknowledges permissions and a roster of contributors, followed by a contents list that signals wide range. The first poems set the tone: a wry origin story of wit born from pessimism; playful invocations to mild love; satire of suffragette-era fashions and “new resistance”; ragtime farewells; seasonal and domestic comedies; nature addresses; and jaunty sports pieces (hunting, rowing, golf), with university vignettes and hints of wartime context beginning to surface. (This is an automatically generated summary.)