Humbert Wolfe

Humbert Wolfe (1885-1940). Courtesy Voices compassion education.

Humbert Wolfe CB CBE (5 January 1885 - 5 January 1940), was an Italian-born English poet and civil servant

Life

Wolfe was born in Milan, Italy, from a Jewish family background; his father, Martin Wolff of German descent, and his mother, Consuela (Terraccini), of Italian. He was brought up in Bradford, West Yorkshire, and was a pupil at Bradford Grammar School.

He was among the most popular authors of the 1920s. He was also a translator of Heinrich Heine, Edmond Fleg (1874–1963), and Eugene Heltai. A Christian convert, he remained very aware of his Jewish heritage.

His career was in the Civil Service, beginning in the Board of Trade and later in the Ministry of Labour. By 1940 he had a position of high responsibility.

He had a long-term affair with novelist Pamela Frankau, while remaining married.

He died on his 55th birthday.

Quotations

He is perhaps best remembered for his epigram:

    You cannot hope to bribe or twist,
    Thank God!, the British journalist.
    But, seeing what the man will do
    Unbribed, there's no occasion to.

Recognition

In recoognition of his work Wolfe was made a commander of the Order of the British Empire, and then a companion of the Order of the Bath.

In popular culture

Wolfe's verses have been set to music by a number of composers, including Gustav Holst in his 12 Humbert Wolfe Settings, Op. 48 (1929).

Publications

Poetry

• London Sonnets. Oxford: Blackwell, 1920.
• Shylock reasons with Mr. Chesterton, and other poems. Oxford, UK: Blackwell, 1920.
• Kensington Gardens. London: Ernest Benn, 1924; New York: Doran, 1927.
• The Unknown Goddess. London: Methuen, 1925; New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1925.
• Lampoons (illustrated by Bohun Lynch). London: Ernest Benn, 1925; New York: Doran, 1925.
• News of the Devil. London: Ernest Benn, 1926; New York: Holt, 1926.
• Humbert Wolfe. London: Ernest Benn, 1926.
• Humoresque. London: Ernest Benn, 1926; New York: Holt, 1927.
• Requiem. London: Ernest Benn, 1927; New York: Doran, 1927.
• Cursory Rhymes. London: Ernest Benn, 1927; Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Doran, 1928.
• This Blind Rose. London: Gollancz, 1928; Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Doran, 1929.
• The Moon and Mrs. Smith. London: Poetry Bookshop / Kensington, UK: Favil Press, 1928.
• Troy (illustrated by Charles S. Ricketts). London: Faber & Gwyer (Ariel poems #12), 1928.
• The Silver Cat, and other poems. London: Ernest Benn / New York: Bowling Green Press, 1928.
• The Uncelestial City. London: Gollancz, 1930; New York: Knopf, 1930.
• Early Poems. Oxford, UK: Blackwell, 1930; New York: Knopf, 1931.
• Snow: Poems. London: Gollancz, 1931.
• ABC of the Theatre (illustrated by John Edward Burra). London: Cresset Press, 1932.
• The Fourth of August. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1935.
• X at Oberammergau: A poem. London: Methuen, 1935.
• Don J. Ewan. London: Arthur Barker / Corvinus Press, 1937.
• Out of Great Tribulation. London: Gollancz, 1939.
• Kensington Gardens in War-Time. London & Toronto: Heinemann, 1940.

Play

• Reverie of Policeman: A ballet in three acts. London: Gollancz, 1933.

Short fiction

• Circular Saws (fables). London: Chapman & Hall, 1923.

Non-fiction

• Labour supply and regulation. Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press / London & New York: Humphrey Milford, 1923.
• The Craft of Verse: Oxford poetry essay. New York: Crosby, Gage, 1928.
• Dialogues and monologues (criticism). London: Gollancz, 1928; New York: Knopf, 1929; Freeport, NY: Books for Libraries Press, 1970.
• Notes on English Verse Satires. London: Hogarth Press, 1929.
• Tennyson. London: Faber, 1930; Freeport, NY: Books for Libraries Press, 1969.
• Portrait of Heine. London: Cresset Press, 1930.
• Signpost to poetry: An introduction to the study of verse. London & Toronto: Cassell, 1931.
• George Moore. London: Harold Shaylor, 1931; New York: Oxford University Press, 1932; Freeport, NY: Books for Libraries Press, 1969.
• Romantic and Unromantic Poetry. Bristol, UK: University of Bristol / J.W. Arrowsmith, 1933.
• Now a stranger (autobiography). London: Cassell, 1933.
• Portraits by Inference. London: Methuen, 1934.
• Ronsard and French romantic poetry. Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press, 1935.
• Chanticleer: A bibliography of the Golden Cockerel Press, April 1921-1936 August. London: Golden Cockerel Press, 1936.
• P.L.M.: Peoples landfalls mountains (travel). London: Cassell, 1936
• The Upward Anguish (autobiography). London: Cassell, 1938.

Translated

• Others Abide (translations from the Greek Anthology). London: Ernest Benn, 1927; Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Doran, 1928.
• Homage to Meleager. New York: Fountain Press, 1930.
• Pierre de Ronsard, Sonnets pour Helene. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1934; New York: Macmillan, 1934; London: Allen & Unwin, 1972.
• Selected Lyrics of Heinrich Heine. London: John Lane, 1935.
• Eugene Haltai, The Silent Knight : A romantic comedy in three acts. London & Toronto: Heinemann, 1937.

Edited

• A Winter Miscellany. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1930; London: Hogarth Press, 1930. editor
• The Pilgrim's Way: A tale of everyman's journey through life, and his many moods. London: Nicholson & Watson, 1936.

The Dream City - By Humbert Wolfe - Read by James Kingdon

Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.

See also

• List of British poets

References

• Philip Bagguley (1997), Harlequin in Whitehall: A life of Humbert Wolfe, poet and civil servant, 1885-1940.
• Helen Ferris (1957), Favorite Poems Old and New.

External links

Poems

• "Requiem"
• Wolfe, Humbert (1885-1940) ("The Suburbs") at Representative Poetry Online
• "Denmark" – Poem of the Week at The Guardian
• "The Soldier"
• Humbert Wolfe at PoemHunter (7 poems)

Books

• Humbert Wolfe at Amazon.com

About

• Humbert Wolfe at Spartacus Educational