Dedication to Valerie and Documentary – T. S. Eliot

A Dedication to My Wife

To whom I owe the leaping delight
That quickens my senses in our waking time
And the rhythm that governs the repose of our sleeping time,
the breathing in unison.

Of lovers whose bodies smell of each other
Who think the same thoughts without need of speech,
And babble the same speech without need of meaning.

No peevish winter wind shall chill
No sullen tropic sun shall wither
The roses in the rose-garden which is ours and ours only

But this dedication is for others to read:
These are private words addressed to you in public.

T. S. Eliot

T. S. Eliot wrote this dedication to his second wife Valerie. They are very personal words but also words he was willing to make public – as can be seen from the last two lines. Some of his most important words that he wrote when great care, thought and meaining is needed to reflect a deep personal relationship that they alone shared. Apt that he mentioned roses as he was known to give Valerie roses on a frequent basis.

For those interested in seeing an excellent documenatary on TSE the BBC Arena series is on YouTube in eleven parts, each about 8 mins duration … here are the links to the first six –

Part 1 …