ProseGirl
  Junior Member

Oops - Ernest was only 8 or 9 in 1875.

I learned of this poem in a short story by James Tiptree Jr titled With Delicate Mad Hands. Late in the story the main character reads the poem and there is a note immediately afterwards (I'm listening to the audiobook) "To One in Bedlam by Ernest Dowson copyright 1875 as all sf readers should know." What a beautiful poem! But Dowson would have been 12 years old in 1875! And why should this be known by all readers of science fiction? Maybe because we all need to read all of Tiptree's stories? : ) For those who don't know, James was actually Alice. I think she and Ernest would have been such friends. more »