James Merrill

James Merrill was born in New York City on March 3, 1926, a member of the same family as the founder of the Merrill, Lynch brokerage and the actress Dina Merrill. One of the most admired poets of his generation, he

Tomorrows

by James Merrill (1926–95)

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16

The question was an academic one.

Andrey Sergeyvitch, rising sharp at two,

Would finally write that letter to his three

Sisters still in the country. Stop at four,

Drink tea, dress elegantly and, by five,

Be losing money at the Club des Six.

 In Pakistan a band of outraged Sikhs 
 Would storm an embassy (the wrong one) 
 And spend the next week cooling off in five 

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Poets Book of Days

March 3

James Merrill born, 1926

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Poetry Trivia

Question:

Where do the Cavalier poets get their name?

Answer

"Cavalier" was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I during the English Civil War, in contrast to the puritan "Roundheads." The Cavalier poets, particularly Thomas Carew, Robert Herrick, and Richard Lovelace, favored the "plain style" approach to verse.

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