Two Turtle Doves Trivia Quiz

Answer: Lord Byron

Lord Byron was one of the celebrated poets of his era. His most famous works are "She Walks in Beauty", "Don Juan" and "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage" He was famous not only for his poetry, but his love affairs, which included a rumoured liaison with his half sister.

His best known love affair was with Lady Caroline Lamb who is reputed to have dubbed him "mad, bad and dangerous to know". Eventually the scandals forced him to leave England and live in exile. He ended up fighting in the Greek war of independence, and for this is still regarded as a national hero in that country.

He died in Greece in 1824.

Answer: John Fuller

Born in 1937, John Fuller has published several poetry collection. He has also written stories for children and a Booker Prize nominated novel "Flying to Nowhere". He was the founder of Sycamore Press, which, from 1968 to 1993, he ran from his garage.

This not-for-profit organisation published several well known poets, such as W.H. Auden, but also promoted young unknown poets. The lines quoted are from "Valentine".

Answer: Adrian Henri

The 1967 anthology "The Mersey Sound" brought poetry to the Beatles generation. Roger McGough had been a member of pop group Scaffold, famous for the song "Lily the Pink". Adrian Henri was well known around the Liverpool clubs and was friends with Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Willy Russell.

As well as being a poet he was also an artist and rock and roll performer. He founded the group The Liverpool Scene, who released several albums of poetry and music, none of which were successful. Unlike many others of the era he chose to stay in Liverpool rather than come to London.

He died in Liverpool in 2000 after a long illness.

Answer: Oscar Wilde

At the height of his fame in the 1890s Oscar Wilde was known for his poetry as well as his plays. Now he is probably best remembered for his one novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and the play "The Importance of Being Earnest". He did however write several plays. "Lady Windermere's Fan", "Salome" and "A Woman of No Importance" all played to large audiences both in London and on tour.

Although audiences loved his plays many critics did not, mainly because they poked fun at the social conventions of the day. "We Are Made One with What We Touch and See" is a rare love poem from him.

Answer: A Subaltern's Love Song

John Betjamen was made Poet Laureate in 1972, but even before that his poems were popular with the British public. He is one of the most quoted poets of modern times, most people know a line or two of his even if they don't realise it was he who wrote it.

In 1937 he wrote "Slough" which starts "Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough, it isn't fit for humans now". In addition to his poetry he was a frequent and popular broadcaster, and was also interested in architecture, especially Victorian architecture.

This let him to found the Victorian Society, which did much to preserve Victorian buildings in London.

Answer: J. Alfred Prufrock

T.S. Eliot was an American who moved to Britain and became a British citizen in 1925. "The Love Song of J. Arthur Prufrock" took him around five years to write, polish and publish. It was followed by "The Waste Land" and "Ash Wednesday". He was also a playwright.

His best known play is probably "Murder In The Cathedral", which deals with the killing of Thomas A Beckett, Archbishop of Canterbury, by knights of the court of King Henry II.

Answer: A Drinking Song

W.B. Yeats is recognised as one of Ireland's most important poets. He was the first Irishman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature (1923). A believer in Irish nationalism, he was a Senator for the Irish Free State for two terms.
Much of his early work is influenced by Irish mythology, in particular "The Wanderings of Oisin", which took him two years to complete. He was attracted to mystical cults and religions, and for a while was a member of Golden Dawn with Aleister Crowley.

Answer: Pablo Neruda

Neruda starting writing poetry whilst still a teenager, and through his career embraced various styles. Historical, surreal, mystic and love poems, many of which were quite erotic. In addition to his writing he was also a diplomat. At various times he had postings to Spain, Mexico and Argentina.

He was also a Senator for the Chilean Communist party before it was outlawed. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971, just two years before his death.

Answer: Elizabeth Barrett Browning

The quote is the first verse of "A Man's Requirements". The story of Elizabeth Barrett and her elopement with Robert Browning is well known through literature and film. Both were well known and popular Victorian poets. Elizabeth was widely read in both England and America.

It was her very popular volume called "Poems", published in 1844, that started the correspondence between her and Browning. After their marriage they lived in Italy, where she continued to write, and where she died in 1861. She is buried in the English Cemetery in Florence.

Answer: William Shakespeare

What is there to say about Shakespeare that has not been said many times before. His plays are world famous, his love poems possibly less so. He did however write several love poems and love sonnets, including his "Love Sonnets For The Black Lady". Her actual name is unknown, but she was a woman with whom he had an affair when he was middle aged. Sonnets 127 - 152 are written to her.