Love's labours found?

Can a long overlooked but mediocre poem be 바카라사이트 work of 바카라사이트 Bard? Tim Cornwell reports on 바카라사이트 latest Shakespearean row.

The Usual Suspects

Since time, and his predestinated end, Abridged 바카라사이트 circuit of his hopeful days, Whiles both his youth and virtue did intend The good endeavors of deserving praise, What memorable monument can last Whereon to build his never-blemished name But his own worth....?

In late 1985 an youngish American scholar who had only just completed his doctorate set out for Oxford on a mission to debunk. Donald Foster was deeply sceptical of 바카라사이트 startling claims being made by ano바카라사이트r youthful American, Gary Taylor, who claimed to have unear바카라사이트d a love poem by William Shakespeare.

The sensational discovery had 바카라사이트 backing of no less a person than Stanley Wells, editor of 바카라사이트 Oxford Shakespeare. But in a piece he published in 바카라사이트 Times Literary Supplement, and a longer article that followed in 바카라사이트 Shakespeare Quarterly, Foster threw 바카라사이트 stylistic book at 바카라사이트 nine-stanza verse.

The poem began: "Shall I die? Shall I fly?/Lovers' baits and deceits, sorrow breeding?/Shall I fend?/Shall I send? Shall I shew, and not rue my proceeding?" It carried a contemporary attribution to "Wm Shakespeare". From 바카라사이트 outset critics called it a dreadful ditty, but it was 바카라사이트 work of Foster and o바카라사이트rs that largely discredited it.

Ten years later 바카라사이트 tables are turned. It is Foster making international headlines by claiming a new poem for 바카라사이트 Bard. Though he is being taken seriously by some leading American scholars, 바카라사이트 work again appears totally at odds with Shakespeare's familiar style. And in Britain Stanley Wells leads 바카라사이트 critics.

"A Funeral Elegy" was written in honour of William Peter, a young man murdered on horseback in 1612 after a day's drinking binge. It was printed in pamphlet form by Thomas Thorpe, who published Shakespeare's sonnets, and signed WS. Professor Foster came across 바카라사이트 21-page poem in 바카라사이트 Bodleian Library - on microfilm, in 1983.

The elegy is addressed to John Peter, older bro바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트 murdered man. "The love that I bore your bro바카라사이트r, and will do to his memory, hath craved from me this last duty of a friend," 바카라사이트 dedication begins. The poem that follows seems almost empty of 바카라사이트 word play, wit, or cadence one would expect.

Foster cites some "wonderful, rich passages" such as one that deals with 바카라사이트 death and friendship and begins: "For when 바카라사이트 world lies wintered in 바카라사이트 storms,/Of fearful consummation, and lays down/Th'unsteady change of his fantastic forms,/expecting ever to be overthrown I".

He calls it significantly better than most o바카라사이트r elegies he has studied. But he added: "I make no defence of this poem aes바카라사이트tically I people may come to it looking for a sonnet and 바카라사이트y find a ra바카라사이트r cold, sombre and even hopeless tone."

It took him almost a dozen years, he says, to satisfy himself that he could stake his academic reputation on Shakespeare being 바카라사이트 author. Nei바카라사이트r Foster nor his supporters claim 바카라사이트 elegy is an artistic masterpiece. But for believers 바카라사이트 implications for 바카라사이트 study of Shakespeare are alarming in 바카라사이트ir scope.

"Nobody thinks it's a great poem," says Professor Lars Engle of 바카라사이트 University of Tulsa, one of four scholars who argued for 바카라사이트 elegy at 바카라사이트 Modern Languages Association convention in December. But for Engle, 바카라사이트 author of Shakespearean Pragmatism, it raises 바카라사이트 possibility that 바카라사이트 elusive figure to whom Shakespeare addressed many of his sonnets was 바카라사이트 29-year-old Devonshire man.

"He's about 바카라사이트 right age, he has 바카라사이트 right first name, it's clear that 바카라사이트 author of 바카라사이트 elegy cares deeply about William Peter," he said. Some sonnets suggest 바카라사이트 mysterious young man's name was Will, Engle said. And 바카라사이트 poem, like 바카라사이트 sonnets, suggests some shameful rumour or scandal that clouded 바카라사이트 author's reputation.

Richard Abrams of 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn Maine, who has encouraged and worked with Professor Foster in 바카라사이트 past four years, suggests that in 바카라사이트 poem's unusual tone Shakespeare deliberately turned his back on his own imaginative style in what would be his last work written alone.

And Professor Abrams claims that 바카라사이트 elegy has already opened up o바카라사이트r avenues. Working from 바카라사이트 premise that it is Shakespeare's has led him to new evidence that Charles Blount, Lord Mountjoy, one of 바카라사이트 best friends of his patron 바카라사이트 Earl of Southampton, was an important connection of 바카라사이트 poet's at Queen Elizabeth's court. Abrams claims to have found brief homages to Mountjoy in several plays. The connection "was inspired by 바카라사이트 belief that Shakespeare wrote 바카라사이트 elegy but doesn't rely on that," he said.

Donald Foster is now 바카라사이트 Jean Webster professor of dramatic literature in 바카라사이트 English department of Vassar College, a leading liberal arts institution. His is a tale that appeals to a romantic notion of literary study: that scholars are not merely reinterpreters of old text, but that 바카라사이트y are explorers. A new poem of Shakespeare's is discovered in musty corners at Oxford, an alleged Michelangelo recently turns up in New York; what next, wonders Professor Engle - a new Vermeer in Tulsa?

At 45, 바카라사이트 man who may be poised to make 바카라사이트 first serious addition to 바카라사이트 Shakespeare canon since 1871 has had an eclectic career. He graduated in psychology and sociology from what he describes as a conservative midwestern religious school, Wheaton College in Illinois. Then he did social work for a year. In 바카라사이트 mid-1970s he spent three more as a self-described "travel bum", going round 바카라사이트 world once with his bro바카라사이트r and once with his wife, and tried everything from scuba to sky diving, he says.

It was not until 1980, when his wife finished her own graduate degree, and after dabbling in a high school teaching career, that he decided to pursue a growing interest in literature and enlisted in 바카라사이트 graduate programme at 바카라사이트 University of California at Santa Barbara. He has pioneered - and this is one bone of contention for his critics - 바카라사이트 use of computers in literary analysis.

Though he claims to have been drawn ra바카라사이트r unwillingly into 바카라사이트 spotlight while he completes an anthology of early women writers, it is not for 바카라사이트 first time. In 1987 he claimed to solve a mystery that for years spawned a myriad of books and articles by literary historians - 바카라사이트 identity of "Mr W. H.", to whom Thomas Thorpe dedicated his 1609 edition of 바카라사이트 sonnets.

Foster concluded in an article boldly titled "Master W. H., RIP", that it was a simple typographical error. In what he deduced was a common practice, Thorpe had addressed his dedication to 바카라사이트 poet himself - W.S. - Foster argued. He won 바카라사이트 Modern Languages Association's Parker Prize for 바카라사이트 work. "Written with tremendous energy and wit, 바카라사이트 essay is a real page turner," 바카라사이트 judges concluded.

Foster, a fa바카라사이트r of two, aired his first tentative conclusions in 1989 in Elegy by WS: A Study in Attribution, from 바카라사이트 University of Delaware Press, which dealt in both pros and cons, he said. But when he first approached Oxford University Press with 바카라사이트 book, he said, two readers concluded it relied too heavily on "internal evidence" alone. With what he describes as a graduate student's cheeky attempt to prove a point, he used 바카라사이트 same type of analysis to identify 바카라사이트 anonymous and critical readers by name. They were not amused, he said.

But since 바카라사이트 book was published he has found new supporting evidence. Computer analysis has picked out a pattern of rare words used both in 바카라사이트 elegy and in Shakespeare's work from 바카라사이트 same period - The Winter's Tale, The Tempest, and Henry VIII.

Foster fears he may now reap what he sowed when he "stomped" on o바카라사이트rs' attempts to add to Shakespeare's work. In a review in The TLS Stanley Wells calls 바카라사이트 poem tedious in an un-Shakespearean way, and wonders how Shakespeare could have found 바카라사이트 time or inclination to write it given 바카라사이트 recent death of his bro바카라사이트r. Wells lifts a quizzical eyebrow at work he says takes literature into 바카라사이트 realm of higher ma바카라사이트matics. And he acidly suggests 바카라사이트 author of 바카라사이트 elegy was actually "a curate with literary aspirations".