Bernard Moore (poet) facts for kids

Samuel Syrus Hunt (1873–1953) was a British writer. He wrote poems using the pen name Bernard Moore. He published six books of his own and collected poems. His first book came out in 1914.

Most of his poems are about Cornwall, especially its fishermen. He also wrote war poetry. Many of his poems use the Cornish dialect, which is a special way of speaking in Cornwall. He also collected some old Cornish songs.

Hunt is best known for his poem called 'Travelling'. This poem compares a noisy train ride through busy London to a peaceful journey on the Looe Valley Line in the countryside.

About Samuel Syrus Hunt

Hunt lived in Catford, which is part of London. Later, he moved to live near Tring in Hertfordshire.

In 1918, while he was working as a teacher in London, he joined the British Army. He served as a Sergeant in the London and Middlesex Regiments during 1918 and 1919.

In 1934, he was honored by the Cornish Gorseth. This is a special group that celebrates Cornish culture. He was given the bardic name 'Morrep'.

The Poem 'Travelling'

Samuel Syrus Hunt wrote his poem 'Travelling' around 1919. In the poem, he describes a train journey. He lists the names of stations in London as a train worker calls them out:

He then compares these busy city stops to the peaceful-sounding stations on the Liskeard and Looe Railway in Cornwall:

What People Thought of 'Travelling'

In 1919, a magazine called The Bookman wrote about the poem. They said it showed "sincerity in every line" and had "a note of deep feeling".

In 1925, a writer named Rev. T. W. Slater wrote about the poem in a journal. He believed that many Cornish people living in London would share the feelings in 'Travelling'.

The poem even inspired a computer game! In 2007, a computer simulation of the Looe branch train line was created because of this poem.

In 2012, a railway writer named Michael Williams called 'Travelling' "one of the most evocative" poems ever written about a country train line.

Train Lines in the Poem

When the poem was written, the London stations (Peckham Rye, Loughborough Junction, Elephant & Castle, and St. Paul’s) were on the London, Chatham and Dover Railway. This line is now part of Kent Thameslink. The St. Paul's station has since been renamed Blackfriars. Also, Kent Thameslink trains no longer stop at Loughborough Junction.

On the Cornish line, Moorswater station closed to passengers in 1901. This happened when a new connection to Liskeard was opened.

See also

• Cornish Literature