More intellectual archeology

[larryhammer]

This 1962 edition of Eliot's Choice of Kipling's Verse was a gift to Tom on his 18th birthday from his affectionate Mom. Aside from the inscription, the only writing is a red-penciled circle around the title of "If—", but several pages are dog-eared. The poems marked are not the expected ones, though some have expectable sentiments:

• "The Song of the Dead" from "A Song of the English"
  
• "The Gipsy Trail"
  
• "Gehazi"
  
• "Hymn Before Action"
  
• "The Benefactors"
  
• The page with "The Rebel" and "The Obedient" from "Epitaphs of the War"

Nothing from after the Great War, and ("If—" aside) none are poems paired with a story. This young Tom had an interesting mind.

---L.

p.s. ObBonusKipling: "The Storm Cone"

ETA: Further examination reveals that young Tom habitually dogears the righthand page, even if the poem starts on the left. This means the mark in "Epitaphs of the War" could be for anything from "Bombed in London" through "The Obedient". Given his age and the date, "Common Form" and/or "A Dead Statesman" seems the most likely. Both of which deserve to be revived today.