Lost Verses: Virginia Woolf’s Unveiled Poems for Her Beloved Niece and Nephew

Some significant news in the realm of 20th-century modernist literature: Virginia Woolf, the celebrated novelist and essayist, was additionally a poet. This revelation comes from new documents discovered by Sophie Oliver, a lecturer in modernism at the University of Liverpool.

Oliver located them at the Harry Ransom Center, an archival library at the University of Texas at Austin. There, she was conducting research on Gertrude Stein, another notable literary figure. However, she decided to escape the Texas heat by exploring the Woolf files. While perusing a folder of correspondence Woolf sent to her niece, Angelica, she stumbled upon two folded sheets of paper. The material appeared distinct from the paper of the letters. Moreover, they were inscribed with pencil writing. “It’s obviously these two hastily written poems,” remarked Oliver. “And I instantly thought, ‘well, that’s peculiar.’ Because Virginia Woolf isn’t primarily recognized as a poet.”

Upon discovering them, Oliver meticulously searched existing Woolf research and consulted with Woolf specialists, but could not find any other references to these poems. Oliver believes they were overlooked by other scholars “because people aren’t necessarily examining a folder of letters to her niece, all of which have been published — or at least, the compelling ones.”

Oliver estimates that the poems date to sometime after March 1927. They unveil a different aspect of Woolf’s character. One poem, named “Hiccoughs,” is dedicated to her nephew, Quentin Stephen Claudian. It’s a humorous, pun-filled piece, playing with sounds and language. “Poor Quentin / went in / to a cough? Or should we label it a cup? / Hiccough? Hiccup?”

The other poem, titled “Angelica,” carries a bit more depth.

The name was lazy & lovely
But the name was not all of her,
There was the body & the essence of her.
Angelica Angelica.
The Angel moniker
But oh the disgrace
Drink she indulged in,
Dadie too,
Fellow Dadie,
Oh how shady
To frolic with Dadie,
And the tangled golden hair!

The “Dadie” mentioned in the poem is a nickname used for one of Woolf’s friends – the poet and Shakespeare scholar George Rylance. Oliver notes that Dadie was present frequently enough that Woolf could engage in that playful teasing aunts often enjoy — ribbing their niece about having a crush. “These are indications of Woolf’s vivacity,” Oliver explained. “That she had a certain silliness and enjoyed indulging in playful banter and nonsense with these children as a means of connecting with them.”

Woolf did not have any offspring of her own. This was a “sensitive topic” for her, as Oliver explained. However, these poems illuminate something poignant about the bond she shared with her family.

As for Oliver, this investigative endeavor — locating the letters, interpreting Woolf’s handwriting, approximating their date, and identifying who Dadie was — served as a diversion from her initial research focus. Yet, she harbors no resentment about it. “This type of research can be highly addictive, and it is one of the delights of archival work,” she expressed.