Occasional Magazine N.S. Vol.5 (2018)
Poetry or autobiography? – The verses of a Victorian lady by Barry Jolly
Mrs West of Newlands published a book of verse in 1855, entitled ‘Frescoes and Sketches from Memory’. The quality of the verse, which is Romantic in style, is of a remarkably high order and is technically sound throughout. Many of the poems are autobiographical in nature, and this article is the first ever to explain their meaning, by identifying the people whose identities have hitherto been masked and placing the verses in their historical context. Mrs West also had a passion for Italy and for nature, both of which are also represented in her poetry.
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