William Morris

[bluosean]

I was wondering what y'all thoutht of William Morris. I have heard he is good but I read The Well at the End of the World and was disapointed.

[Mathor]

One of Tolkien's biggest influences, and one of the first textbook fantasy authors utilizing magic and quests and fellowships.

But one of my biggest influences? Not so much...

I respect his work, but haven't found much enjoyment from it.

[LitNetIsGreat]

News from Nowhere is quite an influential utopian text, though not one that I was overly impressed with, though I think he used it as a socialist platform, rather than a work of pure fiction. Of course he was a highly influential figure within the arts and crafts movement, and was probably more well known and successful in that particular field then in literature alone.

[bluosean]

yeah I heard he did a lot of different stuff. Thanks for your replys guys.

[Lynne50]

[I]. Of course he was a highly influential figure within the arts and crafts movement, and was probably more well known and successful in that particular field then in literature alone.

Yes, I think he was better known for his designs with textiles and tiles. There is a museum called Rose Valley, near Media, Pennsylvania that houses many of his designs, etc. Media, Pa is not too far from Philadelphia.

[stlukesguild]

I've read a bit of Morris... including some poetry... but mostly remember a few of his art critical theories. Like Rossetti, he comes out of William Blake and the notion that one might actually strive toward the ideal of the Renaissance man... skilled in a broad array of creative endeavors. He is probably more influential in the visual arts where his efforts in painting, architecture, design, and the book arts were the foundation of the "arts and crafts" movement. Personally, I think his masterpiece is his design of the so-called Kelmscott Chaucer... along with Edward Burne-Jones:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2501/3796990132_01e1415aa9_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2502/3796990060_c71f919559_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3499/3796990248_49c34fa050_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2598/3796990356_3630a3b41a_o.jpg

[mortalterror]

The Haystack in the Floods is one of my favorite poems. http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poem/1505.html
Also, his work in The Earthly Paradise is not to be despised:
OF Heaven or Hell I have no power to sing,
I cannot ease the burden of your fears,
Or make quick-coming death a little thing,
Or bring again the pleasure of past years,
Nor for my words shall ye forget your tears,
Or hope again for aught that I can say,
The idle singer of an empty day.

But rather, when aweary of your mirth,
From full hearts still unsatisfied ye sigh,
And, feeling kindly unto all the earth,
Grudge every minute as it passes by,
Made the more mindful that the sweet days die—
Remember me a little then I pray,
The idle singer of an empty day.

The heavy trouble, the bewildering care
That weighs us down who live and earn our bread,
These idle verses have no power to bear; p. 2
So let me sing of names remembered,
Because they, living not, can ne’er be dead,
Or long time take their memory quite away
From us poor singers of an empty day.

Dreamer of dreams, born out of my due time,
Why should I strive to set the crooked straight?
Let it suffice me that my murmuring rhyme
Beats with light wing against the ivory gate,
Telling a tale not too importunate
To those who in the sleepy region stay,
Lulled by the singer of an empty day.

Folk say, a wizard to a northern king
At Christmas-tide such wondrous things did show,
That through one window men beheld the spring,
And through another saw the summer glow,
And through a third the fruited vines a-row,
While still, unheard, but in its wonted way,
Piped the drear wind of that December day.

So with this Earthly Paradise it is,
If ye will read aright, and pardon me,
Who strive to build a shadowy isle of bliss
Midmost the beating of the steely sea,
Where tossed about all hearts of men must be;
Whose ravening monsters mighty men shall slay,
Not the poor singer of an empty day.

His Sigurd the Volsung is also pretty interesting.

There was a dwelling of Kings ere the world was waxen old;
Dukes were the door-wards there, and the roofs were thatched with gold:
Earls were the wrights that wrought it, and silver nailed its doors;
Earls' wives were the weaving-women, queens' daughters strewed its floors,
And the masters of its song-craft were the mightiest men that cast
The sails of the storm of battle adown the bickering blast.
There dwelt men merry-hearted, and in hope exceeding great
Met the good days and the evil as they went the way of fate:
There the Gods were unforgotten, yea whiles they walked with men,
Though e'en in that world's beginning rose a murmur now and again
Of the midward time and the fading and the last of the latter days,
And the entering in of the terror, and the death of the People's Praise.

And as a leader of the Pre-Raphaelites he was instrumental in bringing medieval poetry back into fashion and popularizing the Nordic myths.

[Janine]

Interesting thread. I have some Morris designs I have saved from Dover free samples. I will try to post them by the weekend. I didn't know Morris was so multitalented. Beautiful book designs stlukes; thanks for posting those. Didn't know about the museum in Media, Lynne. Will have to find out more about it.

[Fen]

Wow. I had no idea William Morris was a writer, thanks for bringing this to my attention.

[My name is red]

I remember,one of his books was on 'the 1001 books you must read before you die'list; News from Nowhere and since i've purchased it,it's been collecting dust on my shelf.i would like to hear your opinions on it?

[amalia1985]

I read Morris' News from Nowhere when I was in university. It was a fine reading for its genre, with excellent descriptions, but I found the dialogues too long, although this fact served the narration of the story, enriching with some interesting philosophical ideas. All in all, it was an enjoyable book, but nothing special, in my opinion.