"Letters from Yorkshire" is a poem by the British poet Maura Dooley. In the poem, the speaker juxtaposes their modern lifestyle with the agrarian world of an acquaintance, with whom they exchange letters. These letters describe farming life and the natural world, which the speaker believes is "more real" than the speaker's own life of working indoors at a computer. Even as the poem highlights both the wonders and the harsh realities of working outdoors, it underlines the extent to which nature is missing from modern life, and how that void could create a feeling of unfulfillment.
Get
LitCharts
|
In February, digging ...
... in the warmth.
It’s not romance, ...
... a blank screen.
Is your life ...
... path through snow.
Still, it’s you ...
... into an envelope.
So that ...
... the icy miles.
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
Yorkshire Farms Photograph — This photo shows the kind of rural lifestyle made possible in Yorkshire, England, that the speaker of Dooley's poem envies. The accompanying photo gallery shows other photos from similar regions in England and the United Kingdom.
Maura Dooley's Life Story — The British Council's website offers biographical information about Dooley and her poetry.
Dooley's Favorite Poets — A transcription of a short interview with Dooley from the Forward Arts Foundation, in which she discusses how she became interested in poetry as well as the other poets she most admires.
Maura Dooley Out Loud — A YouTube video showing Maura Dooley reading her poetry in England in 2007.