Faces and Places: Thomas Ewart Mitton [conclusion].

Description:[Image: Moseley Baptist Church atended by Ewart].

Both Ewart and Tolkien rejoiced in the beauties of nature. In Church Stretton. Easter 1913 Ewart describes walking on the Shropshire hills, whilst others worshipped at church. He ends: 'I found a joy no words can frame rejoicing in the verdant sod
Amongst the hills, I know I came, to close communion with my God.'

His poems about nature, and those to people he loved, are the most moving. Clouds Harlech 1914 unites the two themes; as the clouds part at the end of the day in the hills and the sun shines through, so light is created by ‘words of Friendship’.

Many of Ewart’s poems are inspired by the war. Patriotism is important, but patriotism entails responsibility. An untitled poem dated 1913 describes the glory of the Roman Empire; her fall due to the love of luxury and gold. It ends: 'Whilst England’s flag shall stand unfurled,Let Englishmen for virtue stand.'

A poem addressed to ‘the gentle form of Peace’, September 1914, admits the evil of war, but declares:‘… we vow that good will follow From our strife and warfare vile.’ Duty is a fundamental concept; other poems show how so many young men accepted that they had to fight, although most had no background for this role. It was their duty. An undated poem, Diodochi, which first appeared in the Chronicle October 1915, ends:

‘Young hearts await the call, hearts that are bold and steady, Young spirits nobly vow that each will do his duty.’

The essential difference between Mitton’s poems and Tolkien’s early writing lies in the tone, serious in all of Ewart’s published poems. But Ewart did write one satirical prose piece, ‘All-vanquishing Science’ Chronicle December 1915. He describes falling asleep at school and dreaming that the Germans have invaded England - and King Edward’s. Boys in the OTC were fighting back. The librarians were hiding away precious documents; ‘the works of Doyle, Haggard, Henty and Ballantyne were given primary consideration’.

In the end the school, Birmingham and England were saved. How? When the Germans broke into the playground Ewart heard them shouting ‘Der poison Gas!’ and saw them ‘writhing in agonies from the deadly asphyxiating stinks which issued from the Science Buildings.’ They fled, he reflected that the ‘Modern side’ had saved the day – and woke up. Had Ewart survived the war, he might have gone on to write like his famous cousin; stories with humour, and poems showing ‘that great quality of the great poets – human sympathy’.