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Sunday 1 May 2011

Poetry in Stamps

"All the world's a stage
And all the men and women merely players;"

This makes an introduction to Shakespeare. My first two stamps of a set of four issued in 1964 commemorate the Shakespeare Festival.

I know it's Spring but John Keats 'To Autumn' always sticks in my mind: "Seasons of mists and yellow fruitfuness"

Issued in 1971, the 150th anniversary of his death.

For William Wordsworth you may have expected daffodils but I prefer: "My heart leaps up when I behold a rainbow in the sky:"

Grasmere - issued in 1970, the 200th anniversary of his birth.

I know it's only May but it's hard to better Burns:
"My love is like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June"

Issued in 1996

Issued 1966

I even found Burns on a Russian stamp which I've copied from the internet:


And stamps for Alexander Pushkin and Alexander Blok



"Black night.
White snow.
The wind, the wind!
It will not let you go. The wind, the wind!
Through God's whole world it blows

The wind is weaving
The white snow.
Brother ice peeps from below
Stumbling and tumbling
Folk slip and fall.
God pity all!"

From Blok's 'The Twelve' (1918)

And finally a stamp of a poet and a diplomat from my Mexico page:
Amando Nervo (1870 -1919) is reputed to be the most noted Mexican poet of the 19th Century.

More poetry on stamps at Viridian's postcard blog

11 comments:

Ellie Garratt said...

Wow. Are they all yours? Fascinating collection!

Ellie Garratt

Bob Scotney said...

Not the Russian ones, Ellie.

tony said...

Burns In Russia!!!!!
+ Is It My Imagination? But weren't British Stamps More Eye-catching In The Past (or am I just getting old?)

Bob Scotney said...

That's my feeling too, Tony - including the getting old(er).

Postcardy said...

Nice stamps. I enjoyed the poetry quotes too.

viridian said...

Keats is one of my favorites. thank you for including the poem from Blok - it is very evocative. All the stamps are great. Thanks for participating.

Sreisaat said...

Great stamps, Bob - and I am familiar to the first three poets in your list. W studied their works when I was in uni.


Postcards Crossing

21 Wits said...

Oh love these, and I'm such a fan of poetry, especially the short and sweet bits of charm, and quotes like... "Seasons of mists and yellow fruitfuness" that brings such good things to mind!

Joy said...

They would be a great set of poets for a desert island book. I like the '96 Burns stamps, quite unique.

N4M3L3SS said...

+1 follower from blog hop, cool blog

Sheila @ A Postcard a Day said...

For a change, I actually do remember the British stamps. You must have a very large collection.