Books

Anon.  The Burial of Walter de la Mare, O.M., C.H., 1873-1956:  Thursday 28 June 1956 at Twelve Noon, St. Paul's Cathedral.  London:  John Roberts Press, 1956.

Atkins, John.  Walter de la Mare:  An Exploration.  London:  C. and J. Temple, 1927.

A rather effusive and poetic study of de la Mare.  Explores the idea of  "the tomb" and "the waste" as the two poles of de la Mare's "psychological duality."  Regards The Return as the best example of this duality.

A Walter de la Mare Issue.  The Horn Book, 1957.

Bentinck, Anne.  Romantic Imagery in the Work of Walter de la Mare. New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 2000.

One of the very finest books on de la Mare's poetry that offers, in a sense, a biography of his intellectual and imaginative life.  He regarded the poet's life as of primary importance in poetry.  Moves from the Georgian period (beyond which de la Mare went) to the influence of the Symbolists and Jungian archetypes and the emphasis on the subconscious as the place from which the poet writes. Based on her doctoral dissertation, Bentinck explores the entire body of de la Mare's poetry and emphasizes the primacy of the imagination and the use of rhyme and meter to show that de la Mare is a Romantic after the fact.

Blunden, Edmund, and Leonard Clark.  Tribute to Walter de la Mare.  London: Enitharmon Press, 1974.

A ten page pamphlet containing a two page essay by Blunden and an eight page essay by Leonard Clark.  Both were acquainted with de la Mare.  Valuable biographical information.

Bock, Jutta. Literarische Enteremong in der Englischen Kurzgesichte des 20 Jahrundertz das Beispiel Walter de la Mare.  Trier:  Wissenschaftlicher Verlag Trier, 1993.

Bonnerot, Luce.  L'Oevre de Walter de la Mare, une Aventure Spirituelle.  Paris:  Didier, 1969.

Brain, Russell.  Tea with Walter de la Mare.  London: Faber, 1957.

A fascinating account of physician Russell Brain's friendship with the de la Mare for the last few years of the author's life.  A view of de la Mare, the man and the writer, with much insight.  Very useful for the study of de la Mare's thought, and his works.

Brett, R. W.  A Tribute to Walter de la Mare on His 75th Birthday.  London, 1948.

Cecil, David.  Walter de la Mare.  Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1973.

David Cecil's acceptance speech upon his designation as president of The English Association in Britain.  Chooses de la Mare as his topic, He writes, " . . . he is our last great writer in the original romantic tradition.  Like Keats, like Wordsworth, like Coleridge, he is concerned with the inner life, the inner dream of rapture or sadness or terror; and, as with them, his sense of these things finds expression in images drawn from folk-tale and romance, or from a close and loving observation of visible nature."

Clark, Leonard.  Walter de la Mare.  New York: H.Z. Walck, 1961.

Duffin, Henry Charles.  Walter de la Mare: A Study of His Poetry.  London: Sidgwick and Jackson, 1949.

A very beautiful and poetic piece of literary criticism that maintains throughout a mystical approach to reality as found in de la Mare's works. Duffin writes, "De la Mare belongs to a very small band of poets whose contact is peciliarly close and vital because it partakes of the directness, the immediacy, of mysticism."  Written with de la Mare's cooperation, one of the most interesting studies of his poetry.

Hopkins, Kenneth.  Walter de la Mare. London: Longmans, Green, 1953.

Khatri, Chhote Lai, and Kumar Chandradeep.  Walter de la Mare: Poetry and Novels: An Evaluation.  Jaipur: Book Enclave, 2003.

The first East Indian study of de la Mare's work. Discusses the supernatural in the children's poetry and the adult poetry.  Provides a lengthy chapter on the novels as works in the Gothic tradition.  Generalized commentary that does not delve into de la Mare in any depth.

Manwaring, Randle.  Memories of Walter de la Mare.  Vancouver, British Columbia:  Neo-Surrealist Press, 1964.

McCrosson, Doris Ross. "De la Mare Biography, 1955-66." De la Mare Papers, Temple University, 1906-56.

A manuscript by McCrosson of a de la Mare biography in the papers of de la Mare at Temple University.

McCrosson, Doris Ross.  Walter de la Mare.  New York: Twayne, 1966.

An invaluable introductory monograph that is the first place to consult when researching de la Mare.

Megroz, R. L. Walter de la Mare:  A Biographical and Critical Study.  London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1924.

The standard work for many years.  Recounts Megroz's relationship with de la Mare and offers much biographical information. A chapter titled "de la Mare's Ghosts" discusses the supernatural in his fiction and poetry. Megroz contends that de la Mare's prose style does more than anything else to convey the supernatural.

Reid, Forrest.  Walter de la Mare: A Critical Study.  London: Faber, 1929.

An excellent study written in the old school of criticism that discusses the early poetry and fiction.  Discusses The Return at some length, pointing out the similarities of Henry James.  The similarity of the early stories to Poe and Henry James are discussed.  Covers Henry Brocken  and The Three Mulla-Mulgars.  A list of books by de la Mare is appended with a useful index.

Sackville-West, V. Walter de la Mare and the Traveller.  London: G. Cumberlege, 1953.

Stapas, Marie Carmichael.  Walter de la Mare:  A Further Note.  London: Poetry Society, 1957.

Whistler, Theresa.  Imagination of the Heart: The Life of Walter de la Mare.  London:  Duckworth, 1993. Rpt.  The Life of Walter de la Mare.  London: Duckbacks, 2003.

The most thoroough and detailed biography.  Well documented with a good index.  It would have been helpful to have at least a selective bibliography..