W. H. Davies

William Henry Davies (1871-1940) was a Welsh poet and writer; he was one of the most popular poets of his time. He was born in Newport, Monmouthshire.

Related Topics:
1871 - 1940 - Welsh - Newport, Monmouthshire

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He was a difficult and somewhat delinquent young man, and after failing to settle as an apprentice, took casual work and travelled. Autobiography of a Super-Tramp is an account of his times in the USA 1893-1899. He lost a foot, while jumping a train, in Canada, and wore a wooden leg.

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He returned to England, living a rough life in London in particular. His first book of poetry, in 1905, was the beginning of success and a growing reputation; he drew extensively on his experiences with the seamier side for material. By the time of his prominent place in the Edward Marsh Georgian poetry series, he was an established figure. He is generally best known for two lines from his poem, Leisure:

Related Topics:
Edward Marsh - Georgian poetry

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:What is this life if, full of care,

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:We have no time to stand and stare?

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He married in 1923 Helen Payne, an ex-prostitute and his junior by three decades; his frank account of how this came about was only published in 1980. They lived quietly in Sussex and Gloucestershire.

Related Topics:
Sussex - Gloucestershire

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