PLEASE NOTE: All the poetry quoted here is Copyright of Sarah, Duchess of York. It is reproduced here on a non-commercial basis, for purposes of literary criticism, and in a spirit of sincere appreciation.
If the Duchess or her representatives should require me to remove any or all of this material, I will do so immediately.
Contact: francine.blaise@yandex.com
In this article I'd like to focus on one of the Duchess of York's lesser known talents, as a writer of poetry. She often uses poetry to give a personal touch to a card or message, and has included poems in her books.
Her poetry is optimistic and inspirational, and she has also used it to express her love for her daughters, to give a message about how best to live one's life, and even to transmit deeper spiritual ideas.
You may also be interested to read my previous article on this topic, in which I analysed Sarah's "Lotus Flower" poem which she included in the book "Finding Sarah" (2010): https://francineblaise.wixsite.com/duchessofyorkblog/blog/an-in-depth-look-at-the-lotus-flower-a-poem-by-the-duchess-1
Let's take a look at four of her poems. Here's the first one...
1. New year's message, 2000
Thank you for all you have done
Keep being with the sun.
And as you gaze into the year ahead,
Keep your strength, love and heart fed.
Be strong to your very soul,
And true to yourself in whatever role.
Let kindness be the word
To everything, even a bird.
This poem appears to be one which was sent in January 2000, presumably to fans and supporters who had sent her Christmas cards and messages. As we see in the picture below, this one was sent to someone named David, with a very sweet message, and a beautiful picture (presumably taken by the Duchess) of Beatrice and Eugenie (11 and 9 years old at this point) picking fruit from a tree - a truly idyllic scene.
The poem starts with a message of thanks, of gratitude to those who have supported her with their Christmas messages, and it moves onto advice and heartfelt wishes for a great year ahead. The poem is written in irregular rhyming couplets, giving it a strong sense of rhythm, in order to fit the idea of forward motion, galloping "into the year ahead". At the same time, this rhyme scheme gives it a light, playful feel - profound ideas about how to live one's life are delivered through a warm, light-hearted form, which, we might say, is "very Sarah"!
In the first couplet, the idea of gratitude is linked to the advice to "keep being with the sun". Those people to whom Sarah has gratitude are those who bring light, life and good cheer to those around them, just as the sun does. In the next lines, we look forward to the coming year, and the reader is asked to "keep your strength, love and heart fed". In order to be strong and loving, one must create the conditions to do so, presumably through our relations and interactions with others. The heart requires feeding - in other words we must act with a conscious effort to develop strength and a loving nature. As the Dalai Lama has said, "in all areas of spiritual development, you need both analysis and focus to achieve the states you are seeking". https://recoveringman.org/dalai-lama-focus-mind/
Sarah returns to the idea of strength in the next couplet - a deep strength that goes "to [our] very soul", which is linked to the idea of authenticity ("be true to yourself"). Staying true to your ideals and values requires real, profound strength, but the poem reminds us that it is essential, if we want to be happy and fulfilled.
The Duchess finishes her poem with the concept of kindness, which is such an important part of her value system. We saw this last year with her campaign in favour of kindness online, in which she stood up against trolls and bullies. There was also her beautiful video message which she sent out through social media on World Kindness Day 2019.
In the final line, we have the playful image of the bird, which makes us smile and ends the poem on an upbeat note. At the same time, it implies that those who show kindness to animals will probably do likewise to human beings. In fact, this position is supported by science. According to the Washington Post, research shows that "Pets can be invaluable at teaching families, especially children, emotional intelligence, a measure of empathy and the ability to understand and connect with others". (https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/04/14/want-to-raise-empathetic-kids-get-them-a-dog/)
As we know, the Duchess herself is an animal lover herself, and horses and dogs have always been a big part of her life, ever since childhood.
This poem is a beautiful gift from Sarah to her fans, giving an insight into her philosophy of life and what she can teach us about living better and more authentically. The playful nature of the rhyme scheme means it's delivered not as a lecture but as warm words from a friend. She begins with gratitude and ends with the delightfully unexpected image of the bird, which can't help but make us smile! Overall, it is cheerful, warmhearted and wise!
2. Christmas message, 2017
A Thought, A Word, A Deed
Nothing is More Special
A Warm Embrace,
A Smile that goes the Extra Mile
Somebody, Somewhere took heed
The 2017 York Christmas card is my favourite of all those that I've been privileged to receive from them. I love the photos - they all are look so natural, relaxed and happy, and Sarah is actually included this time (often the photos only include the Duke and the Princesses). But what makes it even more special is the message inside - a poem printed with a reproduction of the Duchess' own handwriting! Let's take a look at it in more detail...
The poem's first line seems to echo the words of the Book of Common Prayer: "Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed". Whether or not these lines are invoked deliberately, they certainly seem to have their roots in Sarah's upbringing in the Anglican church, and perhaps the influence of her maternal grandmother, the Hon. Doreen Wright, who taught her the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, and advised her granddaughter that "when you feel bad about yourself, go out and give to others".
In terms of the structure, it has quite an unusual rhyme scheme - the two lines that rhyme are the first ("a thought, a word, a deed") and the fifth and final one ("Somebody, somewhere took heed"). Additionally, there is an internal rhyme in the fourth line (smile, mile). The rhyming lines at the start and end have the effect of creating a kind of boundary around the poem.
It should also be noted that these rhyming "boundary lines" use a more formal language. The first one, as we mentioned, evokes the formality of church, and the rhyme itself (deed, heed) is made up of two words we wouldn't normally use in everyday conversation. The length of the two boundary lines is similar - 6 and 7 syllables respectively.
By contrast, what we might describe as the "interior" lines (2, 3 and 4) use an informal, conversational register. The line length in this middle part is noticeably uneven, which adds to the open, relaxed feel of this section. As for the choice of words, they transmit warmth: "special", "warm embrace", "smile". The overall effect seems to be of a friendly, conversational, human message enclosed within more formal limits. This could be interpreted as a representation of how the Duchess and the rest of her family are able to communicate on a straightforward, human level with people, even within the more rigid confines of their titles and status.
Now, I'm not necessarily suggesting that Sarah sat down with the intention of communicating that specific idea through structure, register and vocabulary. The creative process is a mysterious thing and often implies a contact with the subconscious mind. It's certainly an interpretation that fits perfectly with the idea of this Christmas card, which gives us a glimpse beyond the gilded, formal constraints of Royalty and shows us the human warmth within. The Duke, Duchess and Princesses are pictured in a very informal, human context - having fun, showing their affection, and above all smiling and laughing. We can really see "a smile that goes the extra mile" here, and the magic of that smile goes out to all those who received the card.
This poem is about reaching out, about human warmth and human contact. It is about the power that a word, a deed, an embrace or even just a smile can have - to change your day or even your life!
3. Scented candle message (2019)
Take a moment.
That is the key.
See the light
That will set you free!
Although not yet commercially available, one of the Duchess' ongoing projects is to launch a range of products, including these scented candles (below). The box really seems a thing of beauty, and is decorated with a very personal touch - a four-line gem of a poem by Sarah.
What I love about this poem is that it is only 15 words long, and not a single word is wasted. It is short, concise and profound. As written on the box, it is an ABCB rhyme scheme, but it could also work as a single irregular rhyming couplet.
There are two main images here, that of "taking a moment" and of "seeing the light", which together lead to freedom ("set you free"). The idea of "taking a moment" may refer to meditation, of which the Duchess is a great advocate. In "Finding Sarah" she says "if you've ever sat quietly under a beautiful night sky, gazed up peacefully at the moon, or stood on top of a hill, looking out at the vista, and felt calm and good, you were meditating".
In this case, "seeing the light" might simply be a realisation, an awareness. It may evoke the spirit of the divine. In the case of deeper and more focused meditation, it may literally be a sensation of seeing a white light, as this article explains: https://mindworks.org/blog/why-do-some-people-see-white-light-during-meditation/ The concept of light has profound spiritual meaning in several religions and traditions. According to Wikipedia, "in theology, divine light is an aspect of divine presence, specifically an unknown and mysterious ability of God, angels, or human beings to express themselves communicatively through spiritual means". Furthermore, "in certain Buddhist visualization practices, the meditator imagines light as an expression of loving kindness and wisdom that touches all living beings". (https://mindworks.org/blog/why-do-some-people-see-white-light-during-meditation/)
Through this kind of spiritual experience, we can be "set free" - perhaps from our fear, our ego, our mind chatter or whatever dark cloud hangs over us. Perhaps the act of lighting one of these scented candles could help to create the atmosphere for this meditative, healing moment.
Overall, in just 15 words, Sarah gives us a poem which can lead to deep spiritual thoughts. In fact, the poem itself seems to almost have the structure of a mantra. We could repeat these 15 simple words and attain our own meditative state. Her words are much deeper and wiser than they may at first seem.
4. Dedication to "What I Know Now" (2003)
For My Darling Angels, Beatrice and Eugenie,
You are the blood in my veins,
The breath in my lungs,
The freckles on my face,
The joy in my heart.
You make my world complete and have taught me how to live and how to love.
I love you both with all of my being.
This poem is a little different from the others, using blank verse rather than any rhyming structure. The subject could hardly be clearer - this is a mother's deep love for her daughters, her "angels"!
There are four main metaphors used for this love, and for how important Beatrice and Eugenie are to their mother. First, they are the "blood in my veins". The word "blood" is often symbolic of family relationships - "blood ties", "blood is thicker than water" and so on. It's also significant that the blood in one's veins is pumped by... the heart.
Secondly, Sarah's daughters are the "breath in my lungs", emphasizing their necessity to her life. The third metaphor us a more unusual one, and has a personal relevance to this red-headed lady.
The third metaphor is that of the "freckles on my face" - a very personal metaphor for the red-headed Duchess! This shows her daughters as part of the core of her identity. Of course, the message also links us back to the sun - reminiscent of the first poem we looked at.
The fourth image is "the joy in my heart". This connects us right back to the start, with the "blood in my veins" and emphasizing this atmosphere of deep joy and heartfelt love that the poem evokes. The rest of it is really self-explanatory, but no less moving and beautiful!
If this has wet your appetite for the Duchess of York's poetry, you should definitely check out my article on her poem "The Lotus Flower". This poem is my favourite of all the ones I've seen. It's much longer, and has so much depth and richness, so much love and truth. Check out my analysis of the poem here:
https://francineblaise.wixsite.com/duchessofyorkblog/blog/an-in-depth-look-at-the-lotus-flower-a-poem-by-the-duchess-1
On a personal note, I should mention that the Duchess' poetry inspired me to try my hand at writing some myself, and in fact over the last few years, I've sent her a poem every year to celebrate her birthday. While I certainly don't have the talent she does, she has so graciously encouraged me, and you can imagine my joy and pride at receiving a message like the one below!
I hope one day Sarah might produce a book of her poetry, giving us more moments of beauty and inspiration to enjoy and be inspired by!
