READ & LEARN

ABOUT THE POET

Charles Causley was a well-known Cornish poet who wrote poems that sometimes look so simplistic and direct that it was difficult to distinguish the poems he wrote for children and those he wrote for adults. He was a very private person and rarely moved away from his beloved Cornwall.

Background

He lived from the year 1917 to 2003. He was born in Cornwall and grew up there. At the age of 15, he had to leave school to help his family after his father died from an injury from the First World War.

Education

He was actually trained to be a teacher in college. He eventually did become a schoolmaster.

Career

Causley enlisted in the Royal Navy and served as a coder during the Second World War. Later in life, he wrote about his experiences in his poetry and short stories. After the war, he returned home and became a teacher at his alma mater. He did not use to travel out of Cornwall much until his retirement when he decided to travel and see more of the world.

Works

Causley published a lot of his works. He wrote his early poems based on his war time experiences in the navy. These were in his first collection titled “Farewell, Aggie Weston”. This was followed closely by another collection called “Survivor’s Leave”. He also wrote poems on faith, his travels, friends and family. His poems for children were popular.