Dymock poets

The Dymock poets were a literary group of the early 20th century who made their home near the Gloucestershire village of Dymock in England. They were Robert Frost, Lascelles Abercrombie, Rupert Brooke, Edward Thomas, Wilfrid Wilson Gibson, and John Drinkwater, some of whom lived near the village in the period between 1911 and 1914. Eleanor Farjeon, who was involved with Edward Thomas, also visited. They published their own quarterly, entitled 'New Numbers', containing poems such as Brooke's poem "The Soldier". The First World War, which saw the death of Thomas, resulted in the break-up of the community.

Abercrombie, Brooke, Drinkwater and Gibson were poets who had contributed to the Westminster Gazette and were considered Georgian poets. The `Georgian' style, particularly its versification, fell out of favour in the 1920s and 1930s, but at the time was considered 'advanced', and a precursor of 'modernism'. It used simple language and took as its subjects ordinary events and people.

Edward Marsh, the artistic and literary patron, edited the five volumes of Georgian Poetry which were published by Harold Monro.

Drinkwater had close connections with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre in Station Street, which opened in 1913. He was its first manager, and wrote several plays for the company, mainly historical pieces and light comedies. The Old Rep. is now the home of the British Stage Company.