J. Milton Hayes facts for kids

James Milton Hayes (1884 – 1940), known as J. Milton Hayes, was an English actor and poet. He is most famous for his dramatic poem called "The Green Eye of the Yellow God", which he wrote in 1911. This poem was so popular that other famous performers like Stanley Holloway and even The Goon Show later made fun of it in their own acts. J. Milton Hayes also wrote and performed many other poems and stories.

Who Was J. Milton Hayes?

James Milton Hayes was born in Ardwick, England, in 1884. He became well-known for his unique way of performing poems, called monologues. A monologue is like a long speech given by one person. His most famous monologue, "The Green Eye of the Yellow God," told a mysterious and exciting story that captured people's imaginations.

Serving in World War I

During the First World War, J. Milton Hayes joined the army. He became an officer in the Manchester Regiment in December 1915. For his bravery, he was given a special award called the Military Cross in November 1917. In 1918, he was captured by the enemy and became a prisoner of war. He was held in a place called Mainz Citadel along with other well-known people like Hugh Kingsmill and Alec Waugh.

How "The Green Eye of the Yellow God" Was Written

A writer named Alec Waugh, who was a prisoner of war with Hayes, later wrote about him. Waugh said that Hayes was a "brisk, assured, purposeful" person who understood how to be successful. Hayes himself explained how he wrote his famous poem:

• He wrote "The Green Eye of the Yellow God" very quickly, in about five hours, but he had planned it all out beforehand.
• He knew it wasn't fancy poetry, but it did what he wanted it to do: it made people imagine things.
• He used words like "green" and "yellow" to create a special mood.
• He mentioned "India" because everyone has their own ideas about that country. He believed it was important not to tell the audience too much, but to let them fill in the details themselves.
• He gave the main character a memorable name, "Mad Carew," which helped people picture the character.
• He added mystery by leaving some things unsaid. This made the audience feel smart when they thought they had figured out the story.
• He made sure the ending connected back to the beginning, making the whole story feel complete. He knew that people love to imagine stories, and his poem helped them do just that.

Lasting Influence

Even many years later, J. Milton Hayes's famous poem was still remembered. The musician John Lennon, from The Beatles, mentioned a "little yellow idol to the north of Katmandu" in his song "Nobody Told Me". This was a direct nod to the first lines of Hayes's poem, which begin: "There's a one-eyed yellow idol to the north of Kathmandu." This shows how Hayes's words continued to inspire others.