Harbor Lights of Home

by Edgar A. Guest

1928. The ninth collection of verse from the poet and author of Making the House a Home. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.

Genres: Poetry

Paperback

About the author

The family of Edgar Albert Guest settled in Detroit, Michigan, in 1891. When his father lost his job in 1893, eleven-year-old Edgar between working odd jobs after school. In 1895, the Detroit Free Press hired him as a copy boy, and he worked for the newspaper for almost sixty-five years. Death of the father compelled the seventeen-year-old poet to drop out high school and to work full time at the newspaper. From copy boy, he worked his way to a job in the news department. His first poem appeared on 11 December 1898. His weekly column, "Chaff," first appeared in 1904; his topical verses eventually became the daily "Breakfast Table Chat," which was syndicated to over three-hundred newspapers throughout the United States.

Guest married Nellie Crossman in 1906. The couple had three children. His brother Harry printed his first two books, Home Rhymes and Just Glad Things, in small editions. His verse quickly found an audience and the Chicago firm of Reilly and Britton began to publish his books at a rate of nearly one per year. His collections include Just Folks (1917), Over Here (1918), When Day Is Done (1921), The Passing Throng (1923), Harbor Lights of Home (1928), and Today and Tomorrow (1942).

From 1931 to 1942, Guest broadcast a weekly program on NBC radio. In 1951, "A Guest in Your Home" appeared on NBC TV. He published more than twenty volumes of poetry and was thought to have written over 11,000 poems. Guest has been called "the poet of the people." Most often, his poems were fourteen lines long and presented a deeply sentimental view of everyday life. He considered himself "a newspaper man who wrote verses." Of his poem he said, "I take simple everyday things that happen to me and I figure it happens to a lot of other people and I make simple rhymes out of them." His Collected Verse appeared in 1934 and went into at least eleven editions.

- See more at: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/...

Reviews

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insiteful, simple, yet thought prevoking and still relevant wisdom 100 years later.
The man speaks of being the 3 G's: Good, Gracious, and Grateful about life.
I found a first edition rough 1928 copy of this book at the used book store. He was my late father's favorite poet. I found his poem "Myself" typed up by typewriter among his belongings from college. His poems have been a comforting surprise. As I've read them, I realize I have discovered the source of my father's efforts of shared wisdom over my life, in some cases verbatum. They have been a great comfort in my grief and I'm greatgul for this discovery.

[Brooke Eubanks]

Read this a few drinks in and received it as a gift. My used copy was addressed to “My Valentine, My Teacher” in February of 1943, which made it all the better. Lyrical, beautiful.

“Love must have its rainy weather”

“Looking back, it seems to me / All the griefs which had to be / Left me, when the pain o’er, / Richer than I’d been before”

“I am richer by the tears / I have shed in earlier years; / I am happier each morn / For the burdens I have borne”

[Oksana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 1928 book of poems by Guest was a random pick at King's Used Bookstore in Detroit. I've struggled with American poetry but there was a strange simplicity, wholesomeness, and surprising depth in his poems that caught me. Glad to have it as one of my last reads for the year.

[Carol Arnold · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book of poetry. Not my favorite genre. But it was readable! This book was published in 1928. I was surprised by how timely some of the remarks were. For example, the book begins with "The Story of the Title." In it I read, "These are difficult days in our social world. Many things are drifting and uncertain. The home is imperiled. It is the primary foundation of all our social relationship. He who strikes at the home will shake the fundamentals of all government. There seem to be many forces which are working that way." Timely for sure! And again..."So I'm thinking when I listen to the wails of discontent, And some foreign disbeliever spreads his evil sentiment, That the breed of hate and envy that is sowing sin and shame In this glorious land of Freedom should go back from whence it came. And I hold it is the duty, rich or poor, of every man Who enjoys this country's bounty, to be ALL American." (page 34) All I can say is, "This could have been written today!"

The rest of the book is poetry covering many aspects of family and home life. It was an ok read.

[Jasmine Shadows]

His poetry is very much about family and reminds one of the simpler days of America. My grandfather introduced me to Edgar Guest when I was very young. I was excited to see a couple of his works in an antique mall some weeks back. As I read this book I was reminded of the days I spent with grandpa discussing real life. I realize that this style of poetry is not a popular one in this age, but it some of them sure can make you smile and want to reminiscence. These poems may have belonged to a simpler day, but maybe just maybe it does good to hear the words of days when life was not so crazy busy.