From the Picture of Britain programme A E Houseman was said to be a very popular poet whose poems were often taken to the trenches.

A Shropshire Lad? was his collection..

What more is there about him please

John

There is a potted biog here, John. And a quote from my fave of his - Blue remembered Hills

Marina

I'm sorry to be pedantic, but you'll find more in a search if his name is spelled correctly.

It's Housman. No e.

Gwyn

If you have The Great War and Modern Memory, (Fussell), you’ll find a little discussion of how Housman fits into the influences on war poets, and more on his homo-eroticism.

Gwyn

Actually, a google search throws up his name spelled both ways.

Marina

Fine.

Do what you want.

But there is no e in Housman. Spelling something wrong because Google will find it anyway is just lazy.

Gwyn

Gwyn

Apologies I had guessed as I hadn't come across him before...

John

I know, John, and that's why I was trying to be helpful. You actually get a better quality of search result on Housman by using the right spelling and not all search facilties are good at second-guessing what you mean anyway.

I actually made the spelling a separate post so that I could delete the message when you'd seen it. I didn't expect to be confronted about it.

Gwyn

Dangerous and conterproductive I'm afraid

At the risk of burdening this discussion with evidence I did a brief experiment by conducting google searches on:.

1) houseman poet

and

2) housman poet

The first results page of search 1 showed two references to "Housman" out of ten results, the remainder being to "Houseman".

The first results page of search 2 showed ten results out of ten to "Housman".

The web pages refering to "Houseman" have a severe credibility problem. I certainly wouldn't wish risk them when there is a plethora of web sources that can at least pass the entry-level credibility test of getting his name right.

Google may well be a superb tool with a certain amount of idiot-proofing to assist types like me who are fazed (or should it be phased) by the minutiae of spelling (particularly double letters!), but I'm affraid the quality of results does still tend to reflect the quality of query, and being cavalier about spelling is just throwing an uneccessary spanner in the works.

Gryphon

Just to get back to the subject, if Stanza III of "A Shropshire Lad" - 'The Recruit' - isn't some of the best poetry in English, I'm a Dutchman..."Oh Come you home a hero, Or come not home at all".

Housman is definitely one of the great English poets.

What God abandoned, these defended,
And saved the sum of things for pay ...
(see above)

I'm not a poetry person in truth but 'ode/poem to an army of mercenaries' struck a chord with me when I were but young 'A' level art student (or skiver). But when I first read the lines a dark ages warrior tribe sprang into my mind.
Don't ask me why.
I'll get me coat.

And his brother Lawrence, edited the highly recommended
War Letters from Fallen Englishmen