I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but I’ve been saying it since April. The following quotes are from august wilson, one of my favorite authors.
August, not sure why I would pick you as a favorite author to quote, but this one comes near the top of the list.
I like this quote because there are so many ways to interpret it. Is this a quote from an author we know? Is the author talking about someone we know? Is the author talking about an author we don’t know? The author was talking about someone who was “good” in the sense that he was “virtuous” and “good” in the sense that he had “a good heart”.
The author who wrote this quote is an author called “August.” August Wilsson was an English poet and novelist. He is known as one of the most important and influential writers of the 19th century, as well as one of the top-ranking poets of his generation. August’s works include the short story collection “A Dream of the Rood” (1844), the novel The Ring (1845), and the historical drama The Red Badge of Courage (1846).
Wilsson’s death came during a time of unrest in Europe. He was a supporter of the French Revolution. The revolution led to the French Revolution of 1848 and a general strike led to the French Revolution of 1851. Wilsson was arrested during this time and his writings and poetry were seized by the government.
Wilsson died in 1873 at the age of 24. He was writing some of his works during the year. I remember a few books of his poems from the 90s, when I was in my 20s. I wonder if the young poet was at least partially responsible for a few of the most popular works of his time.
The most famous of Wilsson’s poems, or at least the one I remember most of, is “The Old Tree in Mire (The Death of Spring),” which is about a young girl named Marianne, a peasant girl who runs away with her step-grandfather and becomes the owner of a small wooden house. She doesn’t care much for the people around her, and they don’t care much either, so she leaves and dies in her house.
You may remember the line: “The old man, he died a great death, / And all the girls were weeping”. That one is from Marianne, and it’s the only poem of Wilsson’s that really sticks out to me. The other ones are from about the same time, in the early 20s. I can’t remember which of the two I prefer. I love the first one. I think I like the second better, but that’s just me.
I think Wiltson’s first poem is her favorite. It’s the one that talks about the old man, who died a great death. She says in the line “I shall not live for myself, I shall not live for myself”. The poem is so beautiful and moving, and it really resonates with me. Its about the things we care about in life, and how we care about the things that matter most.