Aquarium

"Aquarium" by Harold Acton is a collection of poems published in the early 20th century, specifically in the early 1920s. The work primarily explores themes of beauty, life, and the human experience through vivid imagery and intricate language. The poems reflect a modernist sensibility, often delving into the complexities of both urban and rural settings. The collection is divided into two parts: "Curves" and "Urbanities," offering a range of poetic forms and subjects. In "Curves," readers encounter a variety of motifs, from the vibrancy of underwater life in the titular poem "Aquarium" to the meditative reflections on youth and desire in "Night of Adolescence." Acton's urban poetry paints a stark picture of city life, filled with both mundane and profound observations, encapsulated in pieces like "Sabbath Morning Rain" and "Mr. Bedlam’s Sunday Breakfast." Through his skillful use of imagery and emotion, Acton captures the essence of human existence in all its beauty and melancholy, making "Aquarium" a captivating read for poetry enthusiasts. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Sir Harold Mario Mitchell Acton was a British writer, scholar, and aesthete who was a prominent member of the Bright Young Things. He wrote fiction, biography, history and autobiography. During his stay in China, he studied the Chinese language, traditional drama, and poetry, some of which he translated.