Percy Hugh Beverley Lyon MC (1893–1986) was a 20th-century British poet and educator, a winner of the

Newdigate Prize Sir Roger Newdigate's Prize, more commonly the Newdigate Prize, is awarded by the University of Oxford for the Best Composition in English verse by an undergraduate student. It was founded in 1806 as a memorial to Sir Roger Newdigate (1719–1 ...

and headmaster of

Rugby School Rugby School is a Public school (United Kingdom), private boarding school for pupils aged 13–18, located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire in England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independ ...

from 1931 to 1948.

Life

Lyon studied at

Oriel College, Oxford Oriel College () is Colleges of the University of Oxford, a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title for ...

, publishing a number of lyrics in ''

Oxford Poetry ''Oxford Poetry'' is a literary magazine based in Oxford, England. It is currently edited by Luke Allan. The magazine is published by Partus Press. Founded in 1910 by Basil Blackwell, its editors have included Dorothy L. Sayers, Aldous Huxle ...

'' between 1910 and 1914. He interrupted his studies during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, serving as a lieutenant in the

Durham Light Infantry The Durham Light Infantry (DLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1968. It was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) and ...

and earning the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

. Taken prisoner, he was in Graudenz at the end of hostilities. Upon returning to Oxford after the war, Lyon won the Newdigate Prize in 1919 with his poem ''France'', although he was better known for his peace poem, "Now to be Still and Rest". In 1919 he also had a number of poems accepted for publication in ''Oxford Poetry'': "The Secret Playroom (Graudenz, 1918)", "The Song of Strength" and "The Deserted Garden". He went on to publish poetry in periodicals that included the ''

London Mercury ''The London Mercury'' was the name of several periodicals published in London from the 17th to the 20th centuries. The earliest was a newspaper that appeared during the Exclusion Bill crisis; it lasted only 56 issues (1682). (Earlier periodical ...

'', ''

The Oxford Magazine ''The Oxford Magazine'' is a review magazine and newspaper published in Oxford, England.''The Oxford Magaz ...

'', ''

The Spectator ''The Spectator'' is a weekly British political and cultural news magazine. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving magazine in the world. ''The Spectator'' is politically conservative, and its principal subject a ...

'', and the ''

Westminster Gazette ''The Westminster Gazette'' was an influential Liberal newspaper based in London. It was known for publishing sketches and short stories, including early works by Raymond Chandler, Anthony Hope, D. H. Lawrence, Katherine Mansfield, Margaret ...

''. Lyon was father to three daughters, Jill, Barbara and the children's writer

Elinor Lyon Elinor Bruce Lyon (17 August 1921 – 28 May 2008) was an English children's author from a Scottish family background. Several of her novels are set on the Highland coast, others in Wales. They have been seen to feature "strong girls and sensitiv ...

. From 1926 to 1931 he was the rector of the

Edinburgh Academy The Edinburgh Academy is a Private schools in the United Kingdom, private day school in Edinburgh, Scotland, which was opened in 1824. The original building, on Henderson Row in Stockbridge, Edinburgh, Stockbridge, is now part of the Senior Scho ...

.Magnus Magnusson, 1974, ''The Clacken and the Slate'' Within a month of taking up the post, he proposed a redesign of the school cap and during his five years of his rectorship, he set up the Edinburgh Academy Stockbridge Club, a social club for boys in the district, persuaded the directors to install electric lighting throughout the school and himself directed the school's first Shakespeare production, ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

''. From 1931 to 1948 he was headmaster of Rugby School. He was mentor and friend to one of his pupils,

John Gillespie Magee, Jr. John Gillespie Magee Jr. (9 June 1922 – 11 December 1941) was a World War II Anglo-American Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot and war poet, who wrote the sonnet "High Flight". He was killed in an accidental mid-air collision over Engla ...

, who later wrote the famous poem "High Flight". Magee also fell in love with Lyon's daughter Elinor. After serving as headmaster, Lyon opened the Public Schools Appointment Bureau to find jobs for ex-public school boys.

Publications

Collections

In 1918 he published a volume of poetry, ''Songs of Youth & War'', and in 1923 ''Turn Fortune''. In 1931 a selection of his verse was published as ''P. H. B. Lyon'' in the Augustan Books of Poetry series.

Other publications

*''The Shorter Herodotus, books I-V'', selected and arranged, with brief notes by P.H.B. Lyon, in the series Bell's shorter classics (London: G. Bell, 1924). *''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan taken out on behalf of his dear friend, Bassanio, and provided by a ...

'', edited, with an introduction and notes, by P. H. B. Lyon, for the New Eversley Shakespeare series (London:

Ernest Benn Sir Ernest John Pickstone Benn, 2nd Baronet, (25 June 1875 – 17 January 1954) was a British publisher, writer and political publicist. His father, John Benn, was a Liberal politician, who had been made a baronet in 1914. He was brother of t ...

, 1928; reprinted 1934, 1935). *''The Discovery of Poetry'' (London: Edward Arnold, 1930; reprinted 1931, 1935, 1947), "Primarily intended for use in schools, in those forms and classes where the more careful study of literature is for the first time attempted." *Foreword to

Aleksander Kamiński Aleksander Kamiński, assumed name: ''Aleksander Kędzierski''. Also known under Pseudonym, aliases such as ''Dąbrowski'', ''J. Dąbrowski, Fabrykant, Faktor, Juliusz Górecki, Hubert, Kamyk, Kaźmierczak, Bambaju'' (28 January 1903 - 15 March ...

's pseudonymous ''Stones for the Rampart: The Story of Two Lads in the Polish Underground Movement'' (London: Polish Boy Scouts' and Girl Guides' Association, 1945). *''The Bible as Literature'' (London: Bible Reading Fellowship, 1947). *''Happy Ever After?'' (London:

National Marriage Guidance Council Relate is a charity providing relationship support throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Services include counselling for couples, families, young people and individuals, sex therapy, mediation and training courses. Relate also offe ...

, 1949).

Anthologized

Poems by Lyon were anthologized in the following collections: *''More Songs By the Fighting Men'' (Soldier Poets Second Series; London: Erskine MacDonald Ltd., 1917) *''Valour & Vision: Poems of the War'' (1920) *''Selections from Modern Poets'', edited by

J. C. Squire Sir John Collings Squire (2 April 1884 – 20 December 1958) was an English writer, most notable as editor of the '' London Mercury'', a major literary magazine in the interwar period. He antagonised several eminent authors, but attracted a coter ...

*''Later English Poems, 1901–1922'', edited by James Elgin Wetherell *''Up The Line To Death: The War Poets 1914–1918'', edited by Brian Gardner (1964)

References

External links

P. H. B. Lyon
at the

National Portrait Gallery (London) The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) is an art gallery in London that houses a collection of portraits of historically important and famous British people. When it opened in 1856, it was arguably the first national public gallery in the world th ...

.
Index of contributors
to ''

''
Now to Be Still and Rest
at oldpoetry.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Lyon, Percy Hugh Beverley 1893 births 1986 deaths 20th-century English poets British World War I poets Recipients of the Military Cross British Army personnel of World War I Durham Light Infantry officers Head Masters of Rugby School World War I prisoners of war held by Germany British World War I prisoners of war English male poets 20th-century English male writers