Dennis Joseph Enright

Dennis Joseph Enright Poems

Dennis Joseph Enright Biography

Dennis Joseph Enright (11 March 1920 – 31 December 2002) was a British academic, poet, novelist and critic, and general man of letters. He was born in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, and educated at Leamington College and Downing College, Cambridge. After graduating he held a number of academic posts outside the United Kingdom: in Egypt, Japan, Thailand and notably in Singapore (from 1960). He at times attributed his lack of success in finding a post closer to home to writing for Scrutiny and his short association with F. R. Leavis; whose influence he mainly and early, but not entirely, rejected. As a poet he was identified with the Movement. His 1955 anthology, Poets of the 1950s, served to delineate the group of British poets in question — albeit somewhat remotely and retrospectively, since he was abroad and it was not as prominent as the Robert Conquest collection New Lines of the following year. Returning to London in 1970, he edited Encounter magazine, with Melvin J. Lasky, for two years. He subsequently worked in publishing.)

The Best Poem Of Dennis Joseph Enright

The Rebel

When everybody has short hair,
The rebel lets his hair grow long.
When everybody has long hair,
The rebel cuts his hair short.
When everybody talks during the lesson,
The rebel does' n say a word.
When nobody talks during the lesson
The rebel does' n say a word.
When nobody talks during the lesson ,
The rebel creates a disturbance.
When everybody wears a uniform ,
The rebel dresses in fantastic clothes.
When everybody wears fantastic clothes
The rebel dresses soberly.
In the company of dog lovers ,
The rebel expresses a preference for cats.
In the company of cat lovers ,
The rebel puts in a good word for dogs.
When everybody is praising the sun ,
The rebel remarks on the need for rain.
When everybody is greeting the rain ,
The rebel regrets the absence of sun.
When everybody goes to the meeting
The rebel stays at home and reads a book.
When everybody stays at home and reads a book,
The rebel goes to the meeting.
When everybody says , yes please!
The rebel says , No thank you.
When everybody says: No thank you,
The rebel says , yes please!
It is very good that we have rebels
You may not find it very good to be one.

Dennis Joseph Enright Comments

Dennis Joseph Enright Quotes