Talk:Edward Lear

message: I restored the capitalization of the word "Cow" in the limerick about the Old Man of Aôsta, because that's the way it was in the original. 
I see only two ways to go with this. Either quote his poetry as it was published—my strong preference—or bring it fully into conformity with modern usage, which would mean removing the capitalization in the phrase "Old Man" and elsewhere.
As I say, my own preference is to quote things as originally published. Lewis Carroll spelled "can't" as "ca'n't", with two apostrophes; George Bernard Shaw spelled it as "cant", without apostrophes; Edward FitzGerald spelled his name with an internal capital "G"; the first line of John Masefield's "Sea-Fever" is "I must down to the seas again" (not "I must go down to the seas again); Melville's most famous book is entitled, "Moby-Dick, or the Whale," not "Moby Dick"; and citing them as published retains period flavor and personality. I am waiting for the day when some officious copy-editor "corrects" the capitalization in the works of e. e. cummings. Dpbsmith 20:26, 8 Apr 2004 (UTC)
replies: text: Drifting off the topic, but I feel I should point out that, whatever he might have done to the capitalization of words elsewhere, E. E. Cummings always spelled his own name with normal capitalization. --Paul A 04:33, 29 Apr 2004 (UTC)

text: Having stumbled here on a whim, it's worth noting that, although the first publication of "Sea Fever" does have as its first line "I must down to the seas again", the version published in the 1923 "Collected Poems of John Masefield" and the later "Selected Poems" have it as "I must go down...{etc)".   We might conclude that it was a printing or other mistake; however, Masefield had some control over the content of "Selected Poems" (at least), and subsequently published versions have it as "I must go down...".  Furthermore, a recording of Masefield reading the poem exists; as he reads the first line, you will hear "I must go down to ..."2602:30A:2C4A:1CB0:9444:D50A:1A73:9758 (talk) 22:05, 29 May 2017 (UTC)
thread_title: Capitalization of "Cow"

message: Does anyone know what species "Bong-tree" refers to in poems The Owl and the Pussycat and The Dong with a Luminous Nose?  Or is it purely an imaginary poetic device? --Eoghanacht 21:38, 2005 May 23 (UTC)
:It was originally one of Lear's poetic inventions and appears in several of his poems.  In the introduction to Lady Strachey's book, Queery Leary Nonsense, The Earl of Cromer said, 
::Nothing, I should add, amused Lear more than the failure of some people to appreciate the utter absence of sense in his nonsense. He used to relate that someone once wrote to him to say that he had marched various botanical and other works without finding any allusion to a "Bong-tree". Where, his correspondent, asked, did the "Bong-tree" grow?. 
:Where indeed. -- Derek Ross |  Talk 03:24, May 24, 2005 (UTC)
Seems a bit odd that in the 130-odd years since the publication of the poem, no botanist has employed it as the name of a newly discovered tree.  Perhaps: Bong tree (Learia bonga)?  Thanks. --Eoghanacht 12:25, 2005 May 24 (UTC)
I live in Little Bongs, Knotty Ash, Liverpool, made famous by comedian Ken Dodd.  On the site of the Knotty Ash Inn local eatery and public house once stood an ancient knarled & knotty Ash Tree a landmark known as the Bong Tree.  Ken Dodd recently planted a young Ash tree on the original spot.  Presumably  while in employment at Lord Derby's Estate only 5 miles up the road Edward Lear visited this place and wrote it into his poem "The Owl and the Pussycat"
:Another mystery cleared up, <grin>. Hooray for Lord Derby, Ken Dodd and Knotty Ash!  Thank you, Anonymous Contributor! -- Derek Ross |  Talk 22:50, 11 November 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  Bong-tree 

message: Does anyone know why Lear's poems in the book of nonsense are mostly about old men?
- Sheer laziness, I suspect. Or perhaps at the time it was the standard opening line for a limerick. It is interesting that in Lear's limericks the last line closely echoes the first, whereas most more recent ones tend to end with an unexpected punch-line.
"There was an Old man with a beard,
Who said, "It is just as I feared:
Two owls and a hen,
Three larks, and a wren
Have all built their nests in my beard."  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.73.44.193 (talk) 15:45, 12 May 2012 (UTC)
replies: text:  Too many nursery rhymes about old women ? I suspect it was merely a whim, or even self-mockery.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 101.174.103.205 (talk) 07:53, 1 January 2021 (UTC)
thread_title:  Old Men 

message: I removed this section. I'm not sure it if has been tampered with, but it seems a bit far fetched. Anyone who wants to re-introduce it is welcome. - FrancisTyers · 18:57, 26 September 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: I reinserted the text, as some cursory Googling () appears to indicate it's true. - EurekaLott 02:31, 27 September 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Removed

message: The love of Lear's life was Sir Franklin Lushington,  Chief Magistrate of London.  Together they traveled the world over, while Lear indulged his passion for painting. Susan Chitty, That Singular Person Called Lear, Atheneum, 1989
:I reinserted the text, as some cursory Googling () appears to indicate it's true. - EurekaLott 02:31, 27 September 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Personal life 

message: The Personal life section was nothing but POV, theories and conjectures, attached to weasel words.  Wikipedia is for articles, not opinion or gossip.  If you want to include something on his personal life, leave out the speculation and opinion and back up assertions with citations. — J M Rice 21:00, 20 January 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Personal Life section removed 

message: Did Lear have a literary agent?
Who were his publishers?
Why did he and Ann have to leave the family home?
What sort of background did he have? Did he make a living from his painting/writing?
Any further details would be great!
According to Poets.org, the American Academy of Poets website (http://www.poets.org//poet.php/prmPID/140,  accessed 7/15/11), Lear's father was sent to debtors' prison when Lear was 13 so Lear had to go to work. Lear "began his career as an artist at age 15."   He "quickly gained recognition for his work."  He was hired by the London Zoological society in 1832 to draw birds. Also in 1832, the Earl of Denby, Lear's patron, invited Lear to live at his estate.  Lear lived on the Earl's estate until 1836.  Lear spent ten years traveling Europe and Asia (1837-1847) and when he returned to England published his travel journals as The Illustrated Travels of a Landscape Painter.  The journals were "popular and respected in his day."
It sounds as though Lear left home because of family finances and that he was successful (i.e. able to make a living) as an artist and writer.
Drlex1995 (talk) 20:27, 15 July 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Details 

message: There is a beautiful painting of Masada by Lear in the California Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco.  I have uploaded a photograph, and I think it would add something to this page if there is more coverage of Lear's landscape paintings.  Certainly I was astounded to discover them, as they are more generally eclipsed by his (fantastic) nonsense.  Karora 12:21, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Painting of Masada 

message: Should mention be made of Lear's depression? It's mentioned in many books on Lear and sources can probably be found on the internet (I'm not doing it myself because I'm very new to editing Wikipedia and would hate to do something wrong). He referred to his bouts of depression as "The Morbids." He also had epilepsy in a time when it was still thought to be caused by demonic possession, which contributed to his depression, or so I've heard. Mightn't that also be noteworthy? If it shouldn't be included, why not (for the sake of my own education on Wikipedia functioning)? 69.29.87.49 (talk) 00:31, 20 March 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Depression 

message: The location of Lear's first epileptic fit was changed from "in a tree" to "at a fair." Is there any reference for this? I'm pretty sure I've read elsewhere that it was in a tree. Either way, this detail should be referenced, no? TreyJHarris (talk) 17:54, 30 March 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Epileptic Fits 

message: According to the Oxford DNB Lear was born at Bowman's Lodge, now occupied by Bowman's Mews, N7.  This is in an area of London called Nag's Head, or more generally Upper Holloway.  I was brought up in Highgate (post code N6) and we learnt all about local celebrities.  Lear was never mentioned in this context - if we could have claimed him I'm sure we would have.
info@LondonRemembers.com  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.194.5.97 (talk) 07:43, 6 July 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: Hmmm, Fair enough. Bowman's Lodge was actually on the edge of Highgate Hill but not in the village of Highgate itself. So I can see where the confusion arose. As you say he was born in the village of Holloway before that village, like Highgate, was engulfed by Greater London. I'll fix things up. -- Derek Ross | Talk 17:37, 6 July 2009 (UTC)

text: His gravestone says he was born at Highgate, and the current version of this article contains the category "People from Highgate." 173.88.246.138 (talk) 21:26, 3 May 2021 (UTC)
thread_title:  Born in Highgate? 

message: Hello fellow Wikipedians,
I have just modified one external link on Edward Lear. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
*Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20110718173749/http://eprints.ru.ac.za/1292/1/ReadingNonsense.pdf to http://eprints.ru.ac.za/1292/1/ReadingNonsense.pdf
When you have finished reviewing my changes, you may follow the instructions on the template below to fix any issues with the URLs.
Cheers.—InternetArchiveBot (Report bug) 12:49, 29 December 2017 (UTC)
thread_title:  External links modified 

message: ‘ He also composed and published twelve musical settings of Tennyson's poetry in poem.’
‘in poem?’  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 101.174.103.205 (talk) 07:50, 1 January 2021 (UTC)
thread_title:  What does this mean ?