Thatcreptupovertheedgeo’day.
Iwouldgoback, butthewaysarewinding,
Ifwaystherearetothatland, insooth;
Forwhatmansucceedsineverfinding
Apathtothegardenofhislostyouth?
ButIthinksometimes, whentheJunestarsglisten,
Thatarose-scentdriftsfromfaraway;
AndIknow, whenIleanfromthecliffsandlisten,
Thatayounglaughbreaksontheairlikespray.
, withyourgroupmembers, thepoeticalthemethatwearealwaysunconsciousofthepreciousnessofouryouthuntilitisgone.
.
Notes
:The “angryyoungmen”’’spressofficertopromoteJohnOsborne’, founderoftheWoodcraftFolk, , , alwaysimprecise, begantohavelessmeaningovertheyearsasthewriterstowhomitwasoriginallyappliedbecamemoredivergent, andmanyofthemdismissedthelabelasuseless.
:HewasanEnglishplaywright,screenwriter, actorandcriticoftheEstablishment.Thesuccessofhis1956playLookBackinAngertransformedEnglishtheatre.Inaproductivelifeofmorethan40years, Osborneexploredmanythemesandgenres, writingforstage, , notonlyonbehalfofthepoliticalcauseshesupportedbutalsoagainsthisownfamily, includinghiswivesandchildren.
:LookBackinAnger (1956) isaJohnOsborneplay—madeintofilmsin1959,1980, and1989—aboutalovetriangleinvolvinganintelligentbutdisaffectedyoungman (JimmyPorter), hisupper-middle-class, impassivewife (Alison), andherhaughtybestfriend (HelenaCharles).Cliff, anamiableWelshlodger, , andspawnedtheterm “angryyoungmen”todescribeOsborneandthoseofhisgenerationwhoemployedharshnessandrealisminthetheatreincontrasttothemoreescapistfarepreviouslyseen.
