Background
Richard Realf was born on June 14, 1834 at Framfield, Sussex, England. His father was a rural constable, probably Richard Realf (or Relfe); his mother was Martha (Highland).
(Excerpt from Poems In presenting the collected poems of ...)
Excerpt from Poems In presenting the collected poems of Richard Realf to the English-reading public, the editor disclaims any special effort at criticism or literary skill, beyond that required to gather, fill in an occasional missing word, or to arrange the poems in some sequence of subjects. But he believes that, in fulfilling his modest but labori ous and patient task of compilation and arrangement, the result will be found to be a genuine addition to the noble stock of English poetry, a real contribution in the loftier sense to true literature. The only merits claimed for the Memoir are the faith ful feeling of friendship which directed the work, and the sincerity as well as charity of spirit which, I trust, has controlled the statement of facts and conditions that the writer would have been much more pleased to sup press than express, even in the modified way that he has sought to accomplish the task. What the world really has to do with is the subjective work of the man; the outgiving of the spiritual forces that animated one who, however sadly marred were his outer days, has left us a monumental record of his inner life and of the mystic aspirations which he so nobly expressed. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
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(Excerpt from From Lone Mountain to Twin Peaks: In Memory ...)
Excerpt from From Lone Mountain to Twin Peaks: In Memory of Richard Realf, "Poet, Social Pioneer, Emancipator" Forgot of the green generations, He sleeps in the pale of the Past, Brave heart that could never surrender To Sorrow, but broke at the last. He sleeps? Nay, he holds his last outpost Far-found on Lone Mountain's great breast, As ever, the Valiant, defending The Grand Army Line at its crest. As one for whom Memory dowers The land that grew free thro' his deeds, His Song of his Sword all my spirit, Awakens and quickens and leads. So there on Lone Mountain I seek him, To hear, like a call from the heights, His echoing song-pulses throbbing And thrilling for nobler new rights. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
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(Excerpt from Richard Realf's Free-State Poems: With Perso...)
Excerpt from Richard Realf's Free-State Poems: With Personal Lyrics Written in Kansas And dost Thou not discern How the fierce, pitiless rabble casteth lots For her white robes - alas! SO rent and' torn, And smeared with purple spots? About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
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Richard Realf was born on June 14, 1834 at Framfield, Sussex, England. His father was a rural constable, probably Richard Realf (or Relfe); his mother was Martha (Highland).
A precocious child, writing lines in verse before he was nine years of age, he early attracted the attention of people in higher grades of society, among them Lady Byron, and through such connections obtained greater educational advantages than might otherwise have come to him.
At the age of seventeen he published some immature but promising poems under the title Guesses at the Beautiful (1852). Following an unfortunate love affair he emigrated to America in 1854 and for the next two years was connected with the Five Points House of Industry in New York City.
In the fall of 1856, stirred by the events in Kansas, he went west, where he acted as a newspaper correspondent. He met John Brown, 1800-1859, was a prominent member of Brown's convention at Chatham, Canada, in May 1858, and was chosen secretary of state in Brown's mysterious scheme of government for the new era of freedom he aimed to bring about. Realf did not remain to see the actual working out of Brown's plans, but sailed for England in the summer of 1858 and did not return until the following year. When he did return it was to a Southern port and he seems at this time to have joined the Roman Catholic Church and even to have considered studying for the priesthood.
He was still in the South when, in October 1859, John Brown led the attack on Harpers Ferry; nevertheless he was arrested, and before the Senate committee of investigation was questioned at length regarding his association with Brown. In 1862 he enlisted in the 88th Illinois Regiment, in which he later received a commission and served to the end of the war. Afterwards he was for a time on reconstruction duty with a negro regiment in the South.
In 1872 he entered upon newspaper work in Pittsburgh and remained there for about five years, achieving considerable reputation also as a public lecturer on temperance and on literary and patriotic subjects. An illness in the fall of 1877 caused almost complete blindness, and when he was able to leave the hospital friends provided the means for him to go to the Pacific Coast.
He arrived in San Francisco, badly broken in health, in the early part of July 1878. He sought a position in the United States mint but had to be content for the time with a laborer's job. Ill health and accumulation of domestic troubles, which pursued him even to the Pacific Coast, drove him to contemplate suicide, and in an Oakland hotel, on October 28, 1878, he ended his struggle by poison.
A poem written in sonnet form which was found by his bedside contained in its last two lines his farewell and his apologia: "He loved his fellows, and their love was sweet - Plant daisies at his head and at his feet. "
His poems, scattered through many magazines and newspapers, were collected and published in 1898 as Poems by Richard Realf, Poet, Soldier, Workman.
(Excerpt from Richard Realf's Free-State Poems: With Perso...)
(Excerpt from Poems In presenting the collected poems of ...)
(Excerpt from From Lone Mountain to Twin Peaks: In Memory ...)
(Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We h...)
( This work has been selected by scholars as being cultur...)
(This is a reproduction of a classic text optimised for ki...)
(This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of th...)
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His friend, Richard J. Hinton, describes Realf as slight and graceful in figure, about five feet five inches in height, with a well-shaped head and fine features.
His verse is marked by fine rhythm and melody, and at times, particularly in his patriotic poems, has a passion akin to the recorded passion of his oratory. Through all his life, tragedy seemed to pursue him and his melancholy reflects itself in many lines of his verses. His domestic relations were most unhappy and entangled his career.
He was married three times: in 1865 to Sophia Emery Graves, to whom he never returned after his military service in Mississippi, apparently believing her dead; in 1867, to Catherine Cassidy, whom he divorced in 1873, only to have the divorce set aside on a technicality after he had married his third wife, who bore him one child, then triplets.