Complete Works of Isaac Rosenberg

by Isaac Rosenberg

  Yours sincerely

  ISAAC ROSENBERG

  October-November 1915

  22648

  C Company Bantam Bat.

  12th Suffolk

  Bury St. Edmund s

  MY DEAR MARSH

  I suppose my troubles are really laughable, but they do irritate at the moment. Doing coal fatigues and cookhouse work with a torn hand and marching ten miles with a clean hole about an inch round in your heel and bullies swearing at you is not very natural. I think when my hands and feet get better I’ll enjoy it. Nobody thinks of helping you — I mean those who could. Not till I have been made a thorough cripple. An officer said it was absurd to think of wearing those boots and told me to soak it thoroughly in oil to soften it. Thank you for your note, we get little enough you know, and I allow half of that to my mother (I rather fancy she is going to be swindled in this ? rat trap affair) so it will do to get to London with. You must now be the busiest man in England and I am sure would hardly have time to read my things, besides you won’t like the formlessness of the play. If you like you can send them to Abercrombie and read them when you have more time. I don’t think I told you what he said, ‘A good many of your poems strike me as experimental and not quite certain of themselves. But on the other hand I always find a vivid and original impulse; and what I like most in your songs is your ability to make the concealed poetic power in words come flashing out. Some of your phrases are remarkable; no one who tries to write poetry would help envying some of them.’ I have asked him to sit for me — a poet to paint a poet. All this must seem to you like a blur on the window, or hearing sounds without listening while you are thinking. One blur more and I’ll leave you a clean window — I think we’re shifting to Shoreham in a week.

  Yours sincerely,

  ISAAC ROSENBERG

  December 1915

  22648

  Company C, Bat. Bantam,

  Regt. 12th Suffolks,

  Bury St Edmunds

  DEAR MR SCHIFF

  I have a spare moment and am using it to write to you. I feel very bucked this week and as you are interested in my poems I think it will please you too. A letter reached me from Lascelles Abercrombie who I think is our best living poet — this is what he says. ‘A good many of your poems strike me as experimental and not quite certain of themselves. But on the other hand I always find a vivid and original impulse; and what I like most in your songs is your ability to make the concealed poetic power in words come flashing out. Some of your phrases are remarkable; no one who writes poetry would help envying some of them.’ You must excuse these blots — I’m writing from pandemonium and with a rotten pen. I felt A. would sympathise with my work. I haven’t been able to draw — we get no private time. The money you sent me I was forced to buy boots with as the military boots rubbed all the skin off my feet and I’ve been marching in terrible agony. The kind of life does not bother me much. I sleep soundly on boards in the cold; the drills I find fairly interesting, but up till now these accidents have bothered me and I am still suffering with them. My hands are not better and my feet are hell. We have pups for officers — at least one — who seems to dislike me — and you know his position gives him power to make me feel it without me being able to resist. When my feet and hands are better I will slip into the work but as I am it is awkward. The doctor here too, Major Devoral, is a ridiculous bullying brute and I have marked him for special treatment when I come to write about the army. The commanding officer is Major Ogilvie and his adjutant Captain Thornhill. If you happen to know them, all I would want is leave for a weekend to see my mother. I have asked and was told if I got it now I should have none Xmas so I have put it off. I think we go to Shoreham next week.

  Yours sincerely

  ISAAC ROSENBERG

  I believe I have some pictures in the N.E. but I fancy they are catalogued as Bomberg’s but I’m not sure.

  November 1915

  22648

  C Company Bantam Bat.

  12th Suffolk Bury St. Edmund s

  MY DEAR MARSH

  I received a letter today (sent over a week ago) from Abercrombie and I feel very flushed about it. He says no one who tries to write poetry would help envying some of my writing. Since I wrote you I have had more mishaps. My feet now are the trouble. Do you know what private’s military boots are? You are given a whole armourys shop to wear — but by God — in a few hours my heels were all blistered and I’ve been marching and drilling in most horrible pain. I drew three weeks pay and had some money sent me from home and bought a pair of boots 3 or four sizes too large for me my feet had swelled so. Besides this trouble I have a little impudent schoolboy pup for an officer and he has me marked — he has taken a dislike to me I dont know why. I sent pictures to the New English but I think they have got me mixed up somehow with Bomberg as they wrote me my things were accepted addressing me Isaac Bomberg.

  Could you send me a pound to buy boots with and to get to London with by Xmas if my devil of an officer will give me leave as I must get another pair when my feet are better. You can have the pick of any drawing I do after this if I get clear, for it. Has Winston Churchill’s change made any change to you? I suppose you find a lot to do in these times.

  Yours sincerely

  ISAAC ROSENBERG

  Pte I Rosenberg

  December 1915

  87 Dempsey St

  Stepney London E Thurs.

  DEAR MR SCHIFF

  I shall be home for 4 days from tomorrow, Fri, as you asked me to let you know. I must be looking smart, for I was offered a stripe which I declined. I have some more pictures at home if you care to see, though I, since I have joined, have hardly given poetry or painting a thought. I feel as if I were casting my coat, I mean, like a snake or butterfly. Here’s another one of myself, not much like a poet — I’m afraid.

  Yours sincerely

  ISAAC ROSENBERG

  December 1915

  No 22648

  Platoon No 3

  12th Suffolks. Hut No 2

  Depot. Bury St Edmunuds

  MY DEAR MARSH

  I have devoured your chocolates with the help of some comrades and am now out of the hospital. I have been kept very busy and I find that the actual duties though they are difficult at first and require all one’s sticking power are not in themselves unpleasant, it is the brutal militaristic bullying meanness of the way they’re served out to us. You’re always being threatened with ‘clink’. I am sending you my little play and some poems. The play I mean to work at when I get a chance. I also enclose a photograph of one of my S African drawings. When you have read the poems will you send them to Abercrombie , that is if you think he won’t be annoyed.

  Yours sincerely

  I ROSENBERG

  Who is the author of Erebus. I have a marvellous poem by him.

  To Miss Seaton from Bury St. Edmunds, December 1915

  Thanks for your letter and your books which they sent me from home. It is impossible to read as we are, and I don’t expect to get proper leisure for reading till this rotten affair is over. My feet are pretty nigh better, and my hands, and I am put down for a Lance-Corporal. The advantage is, though you have a more responsible position, you are less likely to be interfered with by the men, and you become an authority. I expect to be home for four days shortly. I don’t know whether I told you Lascelles Abercrombie sent me a fine letter about my work, which made me very bucked. There is nobody living whose praise could have pleased me so much. I have some pictures at the N.E.A.C., one of which is likely to be sold.

  December 1915

  22648

  C Company

  12th Suffolk Bantams

  Bury St Edmunds

  MY DEAR MARSH

  I am going home on leave Friday and shall have four days in town. I don’t know whether you have had time to send my things to L.A. but if not, could you send them to me at 87 Dempsey St so that I might correct them and send them on myself. I am getting on so well that I have been
offered a stripe, but I declined. What is Gertler doing? I feel a bit tired to write, and I expect you are too to read a long letter. We are being drilled pretty stiffly.

  Yours sincerely

  ISAAC ROSENBERG

  87 Dempsey St

  Stepney E

  Late December 1915

  22648

  C Company

  12th Suffolk Bantams

  Bury St Edmunds

  MY DEAR MARSH

  I have sent on the poems to L.A. I sent this one as well which I like. But it is something else I want to write about. I never joined the army from patriotic reasons. Nothing can justify war. I suppose we must all fight to get the trouble over. Anyhow before the war I helped at home when I could and I did other things which helped to keep things going. I thought if I’d join there would be the separation allowance for my mother. At Whitehall it was fixed up that 16/6 would be given including the 3/6 a week deducted from my 7/-. Its now between 2 and 3 months since I joined; my 3/6 is deducted right enough, but my mother hasn’t received a farthing. The paymaster at barracks of course is no use in this matter. I wonder if you know how these things are managed and what I might do.

  Yours sincerely

  ISAAC ROSENBERG

  December 1915

  22648

  C Company, 12th

  Suffolk Bantams

  Bury St Edmunds

  DEAR MR SCHIFF

  Thanks for your letter. I will try and write to Bomberg. If you wish to buy my thing you can have it for 5 guineas. I am anxious to sell as my mother has received no separation allowance yet and half of my money is deducted which should go to her and it is most difficult to get satisfactory reasons. I have written to Marsh to see whether he would know what to do in the matter.

  Yours sincerely

  ISAAC ROSENBERG

  December 1915

  22648

  C Company

  12th Suffolk Bantams

  Bury St Edmunds

  MY DEAR MARSH

  I think this is a decent photo of me and if anything were to happen , that would be as far as I got. They talk of sending us out in Spring.

  Yours sincerely

  ISAAC ROSENBERG

  1916

  January 5, 1916

  22648

  12th South Lancashires

  A Coy. Alma Barracks

  Blackdown Camp Farnborough

  MY DEAR MARSH

  I have been transferred to this reg and am here near Aldershot. Thanks for writing to W.O. I believe my people are getting my 6d a day deducted from my is, but not the allowance. We get very little food you know and sometimes none, so if one has only 6d (and often for unaccountable reasons it is not even that) you can imagine what it is like. If I had got into a decent reg that might not have mattered, but amongst the most unspeakably filthy wretches, it is pretty suicidal. I am afraid, though, I’m not in a very happy mood — I have a bad cold through sleeping on a damp floor and have been coal fatigueing all day (a most inhuman job). You must be very busy. — It is a great pity this conscription business, besides the hope it will give to the enemy to have brought England to that step.

  I am sorry you didn’t like that poem; I thought I had hit on something there.

  Yours sincerely

  ISAAC ROSENBERG

  I have heard it is not difficult to get a commission. Do you know anything about it?

  January 29, 1915

  24520

  A Coy, 12th South Lancs

  Alma Bks, Blackdown Camp

  Farnborough, Hants.

  MY DEAR MARSH

  I don’t remember whether I told you I’d got transferred to this lot and am now near Aldershot. We are having pretty rigourous training down here and the talk is we are going out the middle of next month. Except for the starvation rations and headachy moments I get its not so bad down here. I have just been inoculated and asked for 48 hours leave (we get 48 hrs excused duties) and could not get it. I was told it was a privilege one could insist on, but of course I could not go home without a pass. I sent my poems to Abercrombie about a month ago and have not heard. I hope they won’t get lost as I have no copies and I think they’re the best things I’ve done. I added some lines to the Marching poem which you will think vague but I like them.

  Yours sincerely

  ISAAC ROSENBERG

  1916

  24520

  A Coy, 12th South Lancs

  Alma Bks, Blackdown Camp

  Farnborough, Hants

  DEAR MR SCHIFF

  Thank you for your letter and present, (particularly as I’ve been unlucky this week and lost 5/- through the post). The latter will be turned into food, which means fitness, and that means proper work. My troubles at the beginning were mostly caused by unsufficient food; one felt inert, and unable to do the difficult work wanted; until I got my people to send food from home. The authorities are quite aware of the state of things, but as the authorities have not got to eat of our food, their energy in the matter is not too obvious. I am known as a poet and artist, as our second in command is a Jewish officer who knows of me from his people. I have other copies of those poems I sent you so you needn’t return them.

  Mr Clutton Brock’s address I’ve lost, though of course, I would be very glad of his interest. I will keep you informed of my whereabouts should we shift, and send you anything I think worth reading, though we get really no time to write or think.

  Yours sincerely

  ISAAC ROSENBERG

  March 11, 1916

  To Lascelles Abercrombie

  24520

  A Coy, 12th South Lancs

  Alma Bks, Blackdown Camp

  Farnborough

  DEAR SIR

  Your letter was sent to me from home and it gave me a lot of pleasure. I really wonder whether my things are worth the trouble you have taken in analysing them, but if you think they are, and from your letter, you do, of course I should feel encouraged. I send you here my two latest poems, which I have managed to write, though in the utmost distress of mind, or perhaps because of it. Believe me the army is the most detestable invention on this earth and nobody but a private in the army knows what it is to be a slave.

  I wonder whether your muse has been sniffing gunpowder.

  Thank you for your good wishes.

  Yours sincerely

  ISAAC ROSENBERG

  1916, March

  24520

  A Coy, 12th South Lancs

  Alma Bks, Blackdown Camp

  Farnborough, Hants

  DEAR MR SCHIFF

  I have been in this reg about 2 months now and have been kept going all the time. Except that the food is unspeakable, and perhaps luckily, scanty, the rest is pretty tolerable. I have food sent up from home and that keeps me alive, but as for the others, there is talk of mutiny every day. One reg close by did break out and some men got bayoneted. I don’t know when we are going out but the talk is very shortly. I have written two small poems since I joined and I think they are my strongest work. I sent them to one or two papers as they are war poems and topical but as I expected, they were sent back. I am afraid my public is still in the womb. Naturally this only has the effect of making me very conceited and to think these poems better than anybody else’s. Let me know what you think of them as I have no one to show them to here.

  Yours sincerely

  ISAAC ROSENBERG

  To Miss Seaton from Blackdown Camp, Farnborough,

  1916

  Thanks very much for the bread and biscuits, which I enjoyed very much. I am in another regiment now, as the old one was smashed up on account of most of the men being unfit. We that were left have been transferred here. The food is much better, but conditions are most unsettling. Every other person is a thief, and in the end you become one yourself, when you see all your most essential belongings go, which you must replace somehow. I also got into trouble here the first day. It’s not worth while detailing what happened and exposing how ridiculous, idiotic, and meaningle
ss the Army is, and its dreadful bullyisms, and what puny minds control it. I am trying to get our Passover off, which falls Easter. If I do I’ll let you know. The bother is that we will be on our ball-firing then, and also this before-mentioned affair may mess it up. This ball-firing implies we will be ready for the front. I have been working on ‘Moses’ — in my mind, I mean — and it was through my absent-mindedness while full of that that I forgot certain orders, and am now undergoing a rotten and unjust punishment. I’m working a curious plot into it, and of course, as I can’t work here, I jot little scraps down and will piece it together the first chance I get.