Sweet Bitter Memories of Yester Years
smart my eyes with sudden tears
I didnt know, that it couldnt last
That I would look back and it would be
The past...

OK thats not the exact words. It may have been 'bitter-sweet memories', and it may have said 'I didn't know that it never could last'...

Short story is, I read that passage when i year 8, sitting in the school library, looking through a fairly random book.

I *think* the book was by a well known female author. I *think* the book was quite old, like early 20th century or even late 19th perhaps.

The poem was *I think* written in italics and centred on the title page of one of the chapters if that makes sense. It was the the only thing written on that page aside from the chapter #...

I am literally going to keep bumping this thread up to the top until I find out who the heck wrote it! I have tried google, tried yahoo answers, tried book fan sites, over many years. Still to find the answer. And I know the answer is going to be so obvious when I find out...

Its just a poem I loved and copied as a 13 year old, and then wrote to old school mates as we moved on from each other. Then one of those school mates passed away and it took on new meaning. Now I NEED to know who wrote it and what book it is from (I didnt read the whole book)

any help appreciated.

I can't really help but have you tried talking to a librarian??

Just bumping for you! Can't help other than that though sorry!

OMG I got so excited when I saw replies...

thanks for the suggestion and the bump. The book exists and someone has read it LOL, I will find out the books name eventually.

BUMP :xmas_happy:

bump LOL

Have you tried google books?

http://www.google.com.au/books?hl=en

Ok...I don't know what book it is from but it is something I have read. And now it is annoying me too. LOL.

I do think you are on the right track in terms of it being a female writer and from late 19th to early 20th century. BUT I can't think. I considered the obvious Jane Austin or Bronte sisters but others would remember them.

May be a silly Q but how big was the book? It was a proper novel right?!

Grrr now I will be stalking this thread as I too find that extremely familiar.

Are you sure it wasn't "Theres' Something" by Emily Bronte?

good at least it bothers someone else on this planet!! I cant believe I havent found out yet!

not sure. googling now. no success so far.

I hadnt but I had googled and used every other book search thing I could think of to find the poem. It appears the text may never have been written online till now!

This might help, its an index of poetry first lines although I couldn't find it as a first line.

The site also has author index and title indexes

http://theotherpages.org/poems/FlTitleIdx/fl-b.html

Bump

Could you email a friendly english literature professor?

Oh god you've got me hooked now. This site has some good links (down towards the bottom - poets.org and The Poetry Library in particular)


http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/lost/poems.html

thanks for the suggestion and link pp's!!

bump, just in case someone new on the boards knows...

still havent found the book.

Update: I found reference to the verse by doing a search of my uni online library catalogue. Strange thing is, it is taking me to an entirely different book than the one I described in the OP. I have yet to go to the library and look at the book, but it appears the verse may be in a book of aboriginal poetry from the early 90s. Now, the date fits, the book sounds vaguely familiar too. But it doesn't fit my memory of a very old famous female novelist...

Will be interesting to see what the library search reveals.