Abse, Dannie

Abse, Dannie

▪ British writer
born Sept. 22, 1923, Cardiff, Wales

      British poet, playwright, essayist, and novelist, known for the characteristically Welsh voice and sensibility of his poetry.

      Abse was reared in Cardiff. He trained as a physician and qualified as a doctor in 1950. From 1949 to 1954 he edited a literary magazine, Poetry and Poverty, and from 1951 to 1955 he served in the Royal Air Force. Thereafter he worked part-time as a physician at a London clinic while pursuing a freelance writing career.

      Best known for his poetry, Abse wrote his first book of verse, After Every Green Thing (1948), in a declamatory style. Walking Under Water (1952) followed. He established his mature voice and his reputation with Tenants of the House (1957), in which he addressed moral and political concerns with parables. Poems, Golders Green (1962) explores the poet's outsider identities: as a Welshman and Jew in London, as a suburban householder with a poet's temperament, and as a doctor in a gritty urban neighbourhood. With this volume, Abse's work became increasingly personal, a trend continued in A Small Desperation (1968) and the acclaimed Funland (1973), a nine-part extended allegory on the quest for meaning in a madhouse world. Way Out in the Centre (1981; U.S. title, One-Legged on Ice) further explores, with his characteristic dark wit, Abse's life as a doctor. White Coat, Purple Coat: Collected Poems, 1948–1988 was published in 1989 and Remembrance of Crimes Past in 1990.

      The most noted of Abse's novels is Ash on a Young Man's Sleeve (1954). There Was a Young Man from Cardiff (1991) is a sequel. His theatrical works include The Dogs of Pavlov (1973), an exploration of how average men allow themselves to do evil, and Pythagoras (1979), in which he used archetypal characters to dramatize the conflict between the rational and the magical. He also wrote an autobiography of his early years, A Poet in the Family (1974), published several volumes of essays (many on medical themes), and edited poetry anthologies.

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  • ABSE, DANNIE — (1923– ), English poet. Abse was born in Cardiff. After four years in the Royal Air Force in World War II he qualified as a doctor. From 1947 to 1954 he edited and published the magazine Poetry and Poverty. Although his work included fiction and… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Abse, Dannie — (1923 )    Welsh poet, playwright, essayist, novelist and medical doctor who integrated both his Welsh and Jewish heritages into his poetry. He was editor of the literary magazine Poetry and Poverty from 1949 to 1954. His first book of verse,… …   British and Irish poets

  • Abse, Dannie — (b. 1923)    Welsh poet. Abse was born in Cardiff and trained as a doctor in London. He has continued his medical career while pursuing his interest in poetry. His published collections include After Every Green Thing (1948), Poems: Golders Green …   Who’s Who in Jewish History after the period of the Old Testament

  • Abse, Dannie — (b. 1923)    Welsh poet and playwright. He was born in Cardiff. He published his first volume of poetry while still a medical student. His Collected Poems, 1948 76 draw together his roles as Jew, Welshman, British poet, doctor, bourgeois family… …   Dictionary of Jewish Biography

  • Dannie Abse — Daniel Abse, better known as Dannie Abse (born 22 September 1923), is a Welsh poet.[1] Contents 1 Early years 2 Career as Poet 3 Bibliography …   Wikipedia

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  • Dannie Abse — (* 22. September 1923 als Daniel Abse in Cardiff, Wales) ist ein britischer Autor und Dichter. Abse studierte nach erfolgreichem Abschluss der Schule in seiner Geburtsstadt an der University of South Wales und am King’s College London Medizin.… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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