William Barnes



William Barnes (22 February 1801 – 7 October 1886) was an English poet, writer, minister, and philologist. He wrote over 800 poems, some in Dorset dialect, and much other work, including a comprehensive English grammar quoting from more than 70 different languages.

Life
He was born at Rushay in the parish of Bagber, Dorset, the son of a farmer. After being a solicitor's clerk and for a while keeping a school at Mere in Wiltshire, he was ordained into the Church of England in 1847, taking a BD degree from St John's College, Cambridge, in 1851. He served curacies at Whitcombe Church in Whitcombe, Dorset, 1847–52, and again from 1862. Between 1860-62 he held a curacy at Rotherham in Yorkshire. He became rector of St Peter's Church, Winterborne Came with Winterbourne Farringdon, Dorset, from 1862-86. He is buried in the churchyard beneath a 'Celtic' cross. The plinth of the cross has the inscription: 'In Memory of William Barnes, Died Oct 7th 1886. Aged 86 Years. For 24 Years Rector of this Parish. This Memorial was raised to his Memory by his Children and Grandchildren."

He first contributed the Dorset dialect poems for which he is best known to periodicals, including Macmillan's Magazine; a collection in book form Poems of Rural Life in the Dorset Dialect, was published in 1844. A second collection Hwomely Rhymes followed in 1858, and a third collection in 1863; a combined edition appeared in 1879. A "translation", Poems of Rural Life in Common English had already appeared in 1868.

His philological works include Philological Grammar (1854), Se Gefylsta, an Anglo-Saxon Delectus (1849). Tiw, or a View of Roots (1862), and a Glossary of Dorset Dialect (1863).

Among his other writings is a slim volume on "the Advantages of a More Common Adoption of The Mathematics as a Branch of Education, or Subject of Study", published in 1834.

He was a friend of Thomas Hardy, Alfred Tennyson and Gerard Manley Hopkins.

Writing
Barnes's poems are characterised by a singular sweetness and tenderness of feeling, deep insight into humble country life and character, and an exquisite feeling for local scenery.

Linguistic purism

Barnes had a strong interest in language; he was fluent in Greek, Latin and several modern European languages. He called for the purification of English by removal of Greek, Latin and foreign influences so that it might be better understood by those without a classical education. For example, the word "photograph" (from Greek light+writing) would become "sun-print" (from Saxon). Other terms include "wortlore" (botany), "welkinfire" (meteor) and "nipperlings" (forceps).

This 'Pure English' resembles the 'blue-eyed English' later adopted by the composer Percy Grainger, and sometimes the updates of known Old English words given by David Cowley in 'How We'd Talk if the English had WON in 1066'

Style
Aswell as avoiding the use of these foreign words in his poetry, Barnes would often use a repetition of consonantal sounds similar to the Welsh poetry, cynghanedd. Examples of this can be heard in the lines, "Do lean down low in Linden Lea" and "In our abode in Arby Wood".

Example of Dorset dialect poetry

 * THE LOVE CHILD


 * Where the bridge out at Woodley did stride,
 * Wi' his wide arches' cool sheäded bow,
 * Up above the clear brook that did slide
 * By the poppies, befoam'd white as snow;
 * As the gilcups did quiver among
 * The white deäsies, a-spread in a sheet.
 * There a quick-trippèn maïd come along,-
 * Aye, a girl wi' her light-steppèn veet.
 * An' she cried "I do praÿ, is the road
 * Out to Lincham on here, by the meäd?"
 * An' "oh! ees," I meäde answer, an' show'd
 * Her the way it would turn an' would leäd:
 * "Goo along by the beech in the nook,
 * Where the children do plaÿ in the cool,
 * To the steppèn stwones over the brook,-
 * Aye, the grey blocks o' rock at the pool."
 * "Then you don't seem a-born an' a-bred,"
 * I spoke up, "at a place here about;"
 * And she answer'd wi' cheäks up so red
 * As a pi'ny leäte a-come out,
 * "No, I liv'd wi' my uncle that died
 * Back in Eäpril, an' now I'm a-come
 * Here to Ham, to my mother, to bide,-
 * Aye, to her house to vind a new hwome."
 * I'm asheämed that I wanted know
 * Any more of her childhood or life
 * But then, why should so feäir a child grow
 * Where no father did bide wi' his wife;
 * Then wi' blushes of zunrisèn morn,
 * She replied "that it midden be known,
 * "Oh! they zent me awaÿ to be born, -*
 * Aye, they hid me when some would be shown."
 * Oh! it meäde me a'most teary-ey'd,
 * An' I vound I a'most could ha' groan'd-
 * What! so winnèn, an' still cast azide-
 * What! so lovely, an' not to be own'd;
 * Oh! a God-gift a-treated wi' scorn
 * Oh! a child that a squier should own;
 * An' to zend her awaÿ to be born!-
 * Aye, to hide her where others be shown!
 * Oh! a God-gift a-treated wi' scorn
 * Oh! a child that a squier should own;
 * An' to zend her awaÿ to be born!-
 * Aye, to hide her where others be shown!

* Words once spoken to the writer


 * William Barnes, Poems of Rural Life in the Dorset Dialect (June 1879), p.382

Recognition
Ralph Vaughan Williams set to music two of Barnes' poems, "In the Spring", and 'My Orcha'd in Lindèn Lea', in the "Common English" version ("Linden Lea").