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Frances Crofts Cornford (née Darwin; 30 March 1886 – 19 August 1960) was an English poet. Biography. She was the daughter of the botanist Francis Darwin and Newnham College fellow Ellen Wordsworth Crofts (1856–1903), and born into the Darwin—Wedgwood family. She was a granddaughter of the British naturalist Charles Darwin.
Aug 15, 2024 · Frances Cornford (born March 30, 1886, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England—died August 19, 1960, Cambridge) was an English poet, perhaps known chiefly, and unfairly, for the sadly comic poem “ To a Fat Lady Seen from a Train” (“O fat white woman whom nobody loves, / Why do you walk through the fields in gloves…”).
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Frances Darwin Cornford, granddaughter of Charles Darwin, was a prominent figure in early 20th century British poetry. Her work continues to be studied and appreciated today for its directness of language and unflinching portrayal of everyday life.
Mar 30, 2019 · Biographies. Biography of Frances Cornford. Granddaughter of Charles Darwin, Frances Crofts Cornford enjoyed early success, yet in the course of time her fame waned. Her cheery rhymes and very simple at times phrases create a strange contrast with the meaning of the poems and her imagery.
- Summary
- Structure and Form
- Literary Devices
- Themes
- Detailed Analysis
- Historical Context
- Similar Poetry
‘Childhood‘ is a moving encounter between a child and an elderly figure, in which the universality of age and mortality become apparent to the child. The poem begins from a point of scepticism on behalf of the narratorwho is a small child. They do not believe the cosmetic reminders of age on people they encounter to be anything more than deliberate...
‘Childhood’ by Frances Cornford is a compact verse in ten lines, packed in a single stanza with an interesting rhyme scheme and meter. The text deals with a serious subject but is discussed only in ten lines with longer lines followed by shorter lines. Thematically the poem can be divided into two sections; the first half comprises four lines and t...
‘Childhood’ is an ironicpiece that deals with a child’s first realization, as well as, disillusionment of growing older (and grander). This poem contains a number of literary devices that include but are not limited to: 1. Simile: In the third line, Cornford compares the veins of elderly people to “fat snakes” by using a simile. This comparisoncapt...
Innocence vs. experience, a classic theme, is presented in Cornford’s ‘Childhood’in an interesting way. Frances Cornford wrote this poem from the perspective of an adult speaker who is reminiscing one of her childhood memories. This incident happened in the speaker’s childhood home where she witnessed the struggle of an elderly woman in order to fi...
Lines 1-4
The poem begins by asserting the narrator’s former innocence by listing childlike beliefs they no longer hold. The decision to focus on the “stiff backs” and “wrinkles” evokes the curiosity of a child but also showcases their inability to explain the reasons behind the things they see. The use of the simile in the third line foreshadows the child’s eventual realization that snakes have sinister connotations, particularly in the biblical story of Adam and Eve which is also concerned with lost...
Lines 5-10
The fact the narrator sees the old woman experiencing difficulties through the banister is significant as it could symbolize the permeable barrier between innocence and experience, as well as an unsuccessful attempt to shield the realities of aging from children. Finally, because banisters are ordinarily attached to stairs, it could be a metaphor for growing older, just as one climbs the stairs. The woman struggles with her necklace that has come “unstrung” which metaphorically represents the...
Frances Cornford was born in 1886 in Cambridge to a wealthy and successful family. Her grandfather was the renowned naturalist Charles Darwin and her father had a knighthood. She published several books of verse before her death in 1960 and influenced poets including Philip Larkin. She went on to have five children of her own, including the poet Jo...
Readers who enjoyed ‘Childhood‘ might want to explore similar poetry. For example: 1. ‘Childhood‘ by Markus Natten– Another poem which is concerned with the transition from child to adult. 2. ‘Child‘ by Sylvia Plath– This poem explores youth through a parent’s hopes for their child. 3. ‘A Child is Something Else Again‘ by Yehuda Amichai– This poem ...
- Male
- April 20, 1997
- Poetry Analyst And Editor
Biography. Born Frances Crofts Darwin, Cornford grew up in Cambridge and was a granddaughter of Charles Darwin. Her early verse was widely popular attracting positive reviews, but attention waned thereafter. She was awarded the Queen’s Medal for Poetry (1959).
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Who is Frances Darwin Cornford?
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Who was Frances Cornford?
Who was Frances Crofts Darwin?
Frances was half-sister to the writer and golfing expert Bernard Darwin, the only child of her father's first marriage. Her education was private, and during her childhood her chief associates were her cousins, the children of George Darwin and Horace Darwin.
