Letter from Edward Thomas to the poet Gordon Bottomley. Sent from Elses Farm, The Weald, Kent. Archival ref: 424/1/1/1/10/35
The Weald
3.v.05

My dear Gordon,
I should have written before if
I had thought it necessary to say thank you
for your letter. Yet now I have little
more to say. For I have had several
people to stay here lately & have also not
been well, so that all my good time
has had to go to my reviewing. The cottage
turns out well & I go there to business
for 6 hours regularly every day when a damaged
ankle allows.
Are you wanting 'Midsummer
Eve'? I read it once, ten days ago, &
that is not enough to make sure of my likes
& dislikes. I took a sinister joy in the
names of your persons and the gross rusticity
of some of the detail & conversation, as
contrasted with the pure Gordon of the
greater part. Of course like anybody else, I
quarrel (on first reading) with the
dramatic forms and
enjoy the lack of any sense of time & place -
At present I don't like - or rather I don't
see - the whole, but I like most of
the lines. But the fact is I am only
moved to say I like many lines & believe I can
like the whole in time.
A thousand thanks for what you said of
'Wales.' But
(1) I didn't forget the women: I was
afraid of them. I will try someday, if
only for your eyes.
(2) It was too late to add other verses
of The Maids of Caermarthen.
(3) I hope to have a chance of
correcting the misprinted line in your
poem.
(4) I regret you didn't like the
landscapes. For landscapes are what
I seem to be made for, considering that
I have tried for 10 years to do them, &
am always trying. Say whatever you
think of them whenever you think of them.
I believe I am sincere enough & earnest
enough to make use of criticism. What
I want to know is the effect produced. Then
I can compare it with my intention & see
what to change. I have, by the way,
seen Garnett's "Imaged World". It is
stupid, without power, & without effort.
O God, the Chronicle asks me to do
frequent 'prose poems' on the country. What am
I to do? I patched up a May Day out of "Wales",
but badly & in haste. But when "Wales" is
out. I don't know what I shall do. I can't
do the usual newspaper country article, I don't
believe I shall be able to lower myself into
doing my best at regular intervals. I
want to have subjects given to me which I
must use. Have you any? The
subject - or the title - must be obvious; my
treatment will be as usual. I dared not
refuse. A confession of inability would
have been mistaken for insincerity and
rudeness. The money I could learn to do
without. if only Ransome & myself
could be combined for the time being.
His flow & confidence! His movements
puzzle me. I shall end by refusing to
be interested. Yet I owe him much
humility on account of a superior review
of his lamentable 'Stone Lady".
Now I have to try to say something
about The Decameron & The Heptamaron for the
'Speaker which despises my usual manner &
frightens me into attempts at being sensible-
Helen & Merfyn are away. But
with mine to you &
your people.

Ever yours
Edward Thomas