Beggars

William Henry DaviesProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.8

Word count: 327K words
Chapters: 33

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Beggars by W. H. DaviesAuthor: Davies, W. H. (William Henry), 1871-1940,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: May 13, 2014

Editor's review

Beggars is a work by the English poet W. H. Davies, available in the Project Gutenberg public-domain ebook library. Davies is known for a plain, closely observant style, and his writing often centers on life among the poor, vagrancy, and nature; this book continues that focus, offering a portrayal of beggars and people on society's margins. Its value lies not in dramatic plot but in a restrained, sympathetic narrative perspective that lets readers sense the texture of life at the bottom of society through small details. As a public-domain ebook, it is easy to search and quote, making it suitable as supplementary reading for English literature, social history, or the study of poetic language. Readers might place it in the context of early twentieth-century English literature and society, noting how the author captures people's expressions and environmental details, as well as the plainness and rhythm of the language. It is short enough for chapter-by-chapter reading in spare moments, and also suitable for reading alongside the author's other works to grasp his consistent concerns and style.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in English literature and poetic language
Students studying writing about the poor or marginalized social groups
Researchers who need public-domain English texts for reading and citation
Casual readers who enjoy short, fragmentary narratives

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a strong plot and a complete storyline
Researchers who need systematic social survey data
Beginners who are not used to reading English originals

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp the overall tone, then return to the detailed descriptions and character portrayals.
Read with the early twentieth-century English social background in mind to understand the context of writing about the poor.
Read alongside the author's other works and compare the consistency of his subjects and language style.
Take excerpt notes, recording striking images and word choices for later citation.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a novel or some other genre?

According to the materials, the author W. H. Davies was a poet, and the book is classified under English language and literature. The materials do not specify the genre; readers may regard it as literary writing and focus on narrative perspective and language style rather than expecting a complete novelistic plot.

Can someone with basic English read it?

This is a public-domain English text. Readers with basic English reading ability can work through it chapter by chapter with a dictionary; those who find the original difficult might first look for an introduction or reading guide, or use a bilingual edition to proceed gradually.

Where can I get the electronic edition?

The book is published by Project Gutenberg as a free public-domain ebook. It can be found on the Project Gutenberg website by title or author; choose an edition consistent with the materials and follow its terms of use.

Is it suitable for academic citation?

As a public-domain electronic text, it can be used for literary reading and general citation. However, the materials provide only bibliographic and classification information, with no textual collation notes; for rigorous academic papers, check authoritative editions and page numbers, and cite the electronic source.

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About the author

William Henry Davies Author · Welsh · 1871–1940

William Henry Davies (1871–1940) was a Welsh poet and writer born in Newport. In his early years he wandered through Britain, the United States and Canada, and in 1899 he lost his right leg while jumping from a train in Canada; this vagrant experience became an important background to his writing. He later devoted himself to writing and in 1908 published the autobiography The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp, with a preface by George Bernard Shaw, recording vagrant life at the bottom of society in a first-hand style that is both documentary and literary. His poems, such as Leisure, are plain in language and natural in rhythm, often drawing on nature and his travels, and revealing a appreciation of freedom and ease through simple observation. Three of his works are held in the collection, along with poetry collections such as Beggars and Foliage: Various Poems. He died in 1940 at Nailsworth, Gloucestershire. Public information is limited, and details of his life derive mainly from his autobiography and poems.