Amy Levy (1861 – 1889) was a British poet and novelist. She was born in Clapham, London into a secular Jewish family. She was educated at Brighton High School, and studied at Newnham College, Cambridge; she was the first Jewish student at Newnham, when she arrived in 1879, but left after four terms. Her circle of friends included Clementina Black, Dollie Radford, Eleanor Marx (daughter of Karl Marx), and Olive Schreiner. Levy wrote stories essays and poems for periodicals, Her second novel "Reuben Sachs" (1889) was concerned with Jewish identity and mores in the England of her time (and was consequently controversial); "Reuben Sachs," her first novel "Romance of a Shop," and other writings, including the daring "Ballad of Religion and Marrriage," reveal feminist concerns. Xantippe and Other Verses (1881) includes a poem in the voice of Socrates's wife; the volume "A Minor Poet" has dramatic monologues too as well as lyric poems. Her final book of poems, "A London Plane-Tree" (1889), contains lyrics that are among the first to show the influence of French symbolism. She travelled widely in Europe and was said to have fallen in love with Violet Paget (Vernon Lee), the fiction writer and literary theorist, who was six years older than herself. She had suffered from depression from an early age which, together with her growing deafness, led her to commit suicide at the age of twenty-seven by inhaling carbon monoxide.
the hearse song
The old Grey Hearse goes rolling by,
You don't know whether to laugh or cry;
For you know ...[read poem]
You don't know whether to laugh or cry;
For you know ...
western wind, when will thou blow?
Western wind, when will thou blow?
The small rain down can rain.
Christ, if my love were in my arms,
And I in my bed again!
The small rain down can rain.
Christ, if my love were in my arms,
And I in my bed again!
there once was a young man of ghent
There once was a young man of Ghent
Whose tool was so long that it bent.
To save hims...[read poem]
Whose tool was so long that it bent.
To save hims...
soldiers who wish to be a hero
Soldiers who wish to be a hero
Are practically zero.
But those who wish to be civilians,
Jesus, they run into millions.
Are practically zero.
But those who wish to be civilians,
Jesus, they run into millions.
if i ever marry, i'll marry a maid
If ever I marry, I'll marry a maid;
To marry a widow, I am sore afraid:
For maids they are...[read poem]
To marry a widow, I am sore afraid:
For maids they are...
bonnie james campbell
Hie upon Hielands,
and laigh upon Tay,
Bonnie George Campbell
rode out on a day....[read poem]
and laigh upon Tay,
Bonnie George Campbell
rode out on a day....
ubi sunt qui ante nos fuerunt?
Were beth they biforen us weren,
Hound{.e}s ladden and havek{.e}s beren,
And hadden fe...[read poem]
Hound{.e}s ladden and havek{.e}s beren,
And hadden fe...
sir patrick spence
The king sits in Dumferling toune,
Drinking the blude-reid wine:
"O whar will I get gu...[read poem]
Drinking the blude-reid wine:
"O whar will I get gu...
in the garden of eden lay adam
In the Garden of Eden lay Adam
Complacently stroking his madam,
And loud was his mirt...[read poem]
Complacently stroking his madam,
And loud was his mirt...
sir gawain and the green knight
[fol. 91r]
[fitt1: stanza 1 (long)]
siþen þe sege and þe assaut w...[read poem]
[fitt1: stanza 1 (long)]
siþen þe sege and þe assaut w...
ay me, ay me, i sigh the scythe a-field
Ay me, ay me, I sigh to see the scythe a-field;
Down goeth the grass, soon wrought to withe...[read poem]
Down goeth the grass, soon wrought to withe...
mademoiselle from armentières
Mademoiselle from Armentières, Parley-voo?
Mademoiselle from Armentières, Parley-...[read poem]
Mademoiselle from Armentières, Parley-...
blow, northerne wind
Blow, northerne wynd,
Send thou me my suetyng!
Blow, northerne wynd,...[read poem]
Send thou me my suetyng!
Blow, northerne wynd,...
the history of sixteen wonderful old women
1
Mistress Towl.
There was an Old Woman named Towl,
Who went out to Sea with h...[read poem]
Mistress Towl.
There was an Old Woman named Towl,
Who went out to Sea with h...
say me, viit in the brom
Say me, viit in the brom,
Teche me wou I sule don
That min hosebonde
Me louien wolde....[read poem]
Teche me wou I sule don
That min hosebonde
Me louien wolde....
lord randall
'O where ha you been, Lord Randal, my son?
And where ha you been, my handsome young man?'
...[read poem]
And where ha you been, my handsome young man?'
...
fifth villain
Tommy, in his football jersey,
Fell into the river Mersey.
“Ring us up from Birkenhead,
If you get there,” father said.
Fell into the river Mersey.
“Ring us up from Birkenhead,
If you get there,” father said.
a taking girl
She took my hand in sheltered nooks,
She took my candy and my books,
She took the lustrous...[read poem]
She took my candy and my books,
She took the lustrous...
the braes of yarrow
Late at e'en, drinking the wine,
And ere they paid the lawing,
They set a combat them ...[read poem]
And ere they paid the lawing,
They set a combat them ...
al nist by the rose
Al nist by the rose, rose,
Al nist bi the rose I lay.
Darf Ich noust the rose stele
Ant yet Ich bar the flour away.
Al nist bi the rose I lay.
Darf Ich noust the rose stele
Ant yet Ich bar the flour away.
swarte smekyd smethes
Swarte smekyd smethes, smateryd wyth smoke,
Dryue me to deth wyth den of here dyntes.
Swec...[read poem]
Dryue me to deth wyth den of here dyntes.
Swec...
my friend judge not me
My friend iudge not me,
Thou seest I iudge not thee:
Betwixt the stirrop and the ground,
Mercy I askt, mercy I found.
Thou seest I iudge not thee:
Betwixt the stirrop and the ground,
Mercy I askt, mercy I found.
the masque of b-ll--l
First come I. My name is J-W-TT .
There's no knowledge but ...[read poem]
MASTER
First come I. My name is J
There's no knowledge but ...
waly, waly
O Waly, waly, up the bank,
O wary, waly, doun the brae,
And waly, waly, yon burn-side,...[read poem]
O wary, waly, doun the brae,
And waly, waly, yon burn-side,...
adieu vain world i've seen enough of thee
Adieu, vain world, I've seen enough of thee,
And now am careless what thou say'st of me.
T...[read poem]
And now am careless what thou say'st of me.
T...
if man him bethocte
If man him bethocte
Inderlike and ofte
Hu arde is te fore
Fro bedde te flore,
Hu...[read poem]
Inderlike and ofte
Hu arde is te fore
Fro bedde te flore,
Hu...
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