Study highlights poets' 'obsession' with lawnmowers
An early example was in 1651 when Andrew Marvell, a satirist and politician, wrote a poem where a scythe accidentally killed a bird as a comment on the English Civil Wars.
Ms Gardner's study claims lawnmower poetry reached its highpoint in the last 50 years.
In 1979, Philip Larkin described killing a hedgehog with a motorised lawnmower.
And in 2007, Andrew Motion, who was poet laureate at the time, based an elegy for his father on memories of him mowing the lawn.
Mark Waldron's 2017 poem I Wish I Loved Lawnmowers explored the narrator's addiction to crack cocaine.
"British poets are very interested in the lawn as a nostalgic space, so lawnmowers are often associated with childhood memories, especially of fathers working," said Ms Gardner.
"The lawn is a safe domestic, often suburban, space in which unexpected violence can occur, as when Larkin kills a hedgehog."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
25 minutes ago
- The Independent
Pair of rare tiger cubs born at Merseyside safari park for the first time in 30 years
Two rare tiger cubs have been born at Knowsley Safari park in Merseyside. Footage shared by the zoo on Friday (8 August) shows the pair of cubs playing beside their mother Yuki, a five-year-old Amur tiger. Yuki, who is part of a global breeding programme, gave birth to the pair on 29 July. They are the first Amur tiger cubs to be born at Knowsley Safari since 1996. Keepers looking after the new arrivals say they will not know the sex of the cubs until their eight-week health check. Animal Team Manager Pete Johnson said that he is 'over the moon' and said their birth marks 'an important step forward' in conservation efforts to protect the endangered species.
The Sun
26 minutes ago
- The Sun
Obsessed stalker with ‘erotomania' bombarded Channel 4 actress Anna Friel with sexual messages & left gifts at her home
A STALKER with "erotomania" bombarded Channel 4 actress Anna Friel with sexual messages and unwanted gifts for three years. Phil Appleton, who is 71, chillingly turned up at the 49-year-old star's house multiple times. 3 3 3 Reading Crown Court heard he left "unwanted" presents for her between January 2022 and December 2024. The pensioner from Windsor in Berkshire is described online as an actor and retired pilot. He has been in custody for six months and spent time in a mental health facility. Appleton was due to stand trial, with special measures put in place to mitigate Friel's "fear and distress" while giving evidence. However, this was called off after he performed a U-turn and admitted to stalking the Channel 4 star. Yesterday, Reading Crown Court heard Appleton has been diagnosed with a condition called erotomania, along with bipolar. Erotomania is characterised by a person's delusions of another person being in love with them, and usually affects women rather than men. It usually fixates on someone of a higher social status or a celebrity, but can extend to someone who is fictional or has died. A psychiatrist told the court Appleton would need to be monitored by mental health professionals and he was unable to say if his fixation would ever end, The Guardian reported. Judge Alan Blake asked probation services to prepare a report on Appleton, and said he had a 'lack of full understanding and acknowledgement of the impact of his behaviour on the victim'. He said: 'It is more likely [that] consistent treatment will help him to contain his feeling and reduce the risk of stalking. It is plain that, on a number of occasions, Mr Appleton has indicated that he does not think he is unwell or needs to take his medication and has desisted in so doing.' Appleton was granted bail on the condition he not contact the actress or enter the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. The judge declined to allow him to stay at an address in France, instead ordering him to remain at a family member's home in Suffolk. The pensioner is due to be sentenced on September 18. Friel rose to fame with her role as Beth Jordache in Channel 4 soap opera Brookside - making history for sharing the first-ever, pre-watershed lesbian kiss. She went on to star as Charlotte "Chuck" Charles in the ABC comedy series Pushing Daisies. In 2017, she won the International Emmy for Best Actress for her leading role in the ITV and Netflix series Marcella. What is erotomania? Erotomania, also known as de Clérambault's syndrome, is when you think someone is in love with you but they're not. The subject of the person's delusion is often a celebrity or someone of a higher social status. It's a rare psychiatric condition, and can even focus on a fictional character or someone who has died. They may believe that the person is communicating with them and affirming their love using secret messages. It tends to affect women more than men, and can occur alongside other mental health conditions. Behaviour includes persistent efforts to make contact through stalking, written communication, and other harassing behaviours. It can sometimes be triggered by the targeted person making it known that the attention is not wanted.
The Sun
26 minutes ago
- The Sun
Bride-to-be reveals the best UK spots to nab a second hand wedding dress after finding her dream gown for £40
MANY people find themselves forking out hundreds, if not thousands, for their wedding dress. However, one bride-to-be revealed how she found her 'dream' gown in a charity shop for £40 - and she revealed the best hot spots for secondhand dresses in the UK. 2 2 Savvy Rose Myfanwy, who posts under @rosemyfanwy1, uploaded a video after finding a stunning embellished wedding dress for her special day. The ivory gown had thin straps, a flattering V-neckline, a drop back and a breathtaking patterned A-line skirt. She wrote: 'POV you found your dream wedding dress in a charity shop for £40.' Considering the average bride in the UK spends between £1,300 and £1,500 on their wedding dress, with some designers even charging upwards of £10,000 for their gowns, it was certainly a steal. Delighted at her purse-friendly find, she snapped it up straight away for her special day. The budget-conscious bride added: 'Would you go for a second hand dress!!!???? 'Wedding dresses don't have to cost you hundreds or even thousands! 'There's an unbelievable amount of second hand dresses out there waiting for you, you just need to know where to look.' Rose shared how she had found her dress at Mary's Living and Giving shop in Clifton, Bristol. She added: 'They were so lovely in there and though I didn't have anyone there who I knew when I tried it on, it was actually quite fun pottering round the shop in it getting all the other customers' thoughts.' The bride-to-be also shared some of her top recommendations for snapping up a bargain bridal gown. The first was Tenovus on the Gloucester Road in Bristol which has a 'huuuuge selection' of second hand dresses upstairs. She said there is 'something for everyone and also bridesmaids bits too.' The second place to try is Facebook Marketplace and eBay. Rose continued: 'I didn't find any that would have suited me but worth a look for sure. 'I also would prefer to find one in person so I can try it on, see how it feels etc.' How to pick the perfect wedding dress Wedding season is in full swing, but when it comes to picking your perfect dress, most new brides-to-be probably feel a bit clueless. As someone who's tying the knot in August 2024, Josie Griffiths, deputy digital Fabulous editor and bride-to-be, has shared her top tips... Give yourself time - unless you're a sample size, dresses can take months to even arrive. Don't stress yourself out by looking too late, in my opinion dress shopping should be the second thing on your list, right after finding a venue. Visit multiple shops - you don't want to be buying on your first visit. But not too many - like a f***boy who can't stop swiping on Tinder, having too much choice isn't going to help you find The One. Take people with you - women who will be honest but also hype you up, unlike the mean relatives on Say Yes To The Dress, and ideally people from different areas of your life who won't automatically say the same thing. I shopped with my mum and two best friends, who didn't know each other and had different styles. Think it over - I returned to the shop before making my final decision on the dress I chose, re-trying it with my second favourite to make sure I was certain. It's an expensive purchase, and you can't send it back like you might your next Asos order, so take time to mull it over. She also recommended you try vintage shops and fayres. The savvy shopper explained: 'These are likely to be more on the pricey side compared to charity shops but will be a great place to look for stunning classy dresses if you're after a timeless classic. 'Also, nowhere near as expensive as a brand new dress.' Many people were quick to comment on her frugal dress, with one saying: 'I'd buy it in a heartbeat. it looks stunning on you.' A second added: 'that dress was made for you.'
