KIPLING RUDYARD (1865-1936)

Lot 151
Go to lot
Estimation :
1000 - 1500 EUR
Result with fees
Result : 5 330EUR
KIPLING RUDYARD (1865-1936)
L.A.S. "Rudyard Kipling", Naulakha, Waite, Vermont July 2, 1896, to Richard Trench KIRKPATRICK, at the Barracks of the 100th R.I. Royal Canadian in Tipperary, Ireland; 2 pages in-8, envelope; in English. Response to a children's poem inspired by Mowgli. [Captain R.T. Kirkpatrick (1865-1898), D.S.O., father of the child, was assassinated during a military cartographic expedition to East Africa (east of Dufile, Uganda)]. He has just returned from a fishing expedition, hence his delay in responding. He is very interested in the child's mind (having two of his own), and he sympathizes with his young man's irritation (noble and poetic) at having to incorporate rhymes into the first line that didn't fit. He imagines it very well, singing it in the full and rich voice of childhood, his eyes widening. It's strange that he chose (and more or less succeeded) such a long and complicated metre, because most children cling to the octosyllabic rhymes. He quotes the tonic, where Mowgli is blamed for not defending someone to the end. There is a curious little oriental touch there that he finds interesting. His best regards (salaams) to the author, who should sing his lyrics out loud, to adapt them as well as possible... "I'm just in from a fishing trip - hence the delay in acknowledging your note with enclosure. I am always very much interested in the workings of a child's mind (having two of my own) and I can sympathize with your young man's irritation (noble and poetic) at having to lug in rhymes in the first verse that didn't suit. Also I can quite see how he recited it in the child's full, rounded intoning voice but with his eyes growing bigger and bigger. It's odd he should have chosen (and more or less worked out) such a long and complicated meter for most children stick to the short eight-syllable nursery rhyme form of composition. The line he wrote it for - the key note, of course is "O Mowgli why didn't thee but defend him, yes, defend him to the end." There's a funny little Oriental touch in the whole business that is very curious and interesting and I am much indebted to you for that you took the trouble to send it. Give him my best salaams and tell him to sing his things out loud to himself if he wants to make them fit."
My orders
Sale information
Sales conditions
Return to catalogue