Lennon, John

black ink, one page, large post quarto (10 x 8 in.; 254 x 204 mm, unwatermarked), stain at centre of leaf, 1 3/4 x 1 3/4 in.; 45 x 45 mm. section of paper at bottom right corner torn away

[with:] typescript, the title added in capitals in black ink, editorial note in pencil, one page, large post quarto (10 x 8 in.; 254 x 204 mm., unwatermarked)

"...I'm looking up and at the sky,
to find such wondrous voice.
Puzzly puzzle, wonder why,
I hear but have no choice..."

These wistful verses probably constitute the most successful poem in In His Own Write, where it is published on p.64, and 'I Sat Belonely' has been widely reprinted. "His inspiration in verse seems to be Lewis Carroll", wrote Tom Wolfe in his review of In His Own Write, "But Lennon adds an anarchic cynicism that, for better or worse, goes beyond Carroll's kind of jabberwocky" (Book Week, 3 May 1964). John Lennon recites this poem in the Beatles' film Help! as he walks down a street with Ringo, barely noticing when his companion nearly loses his hand to an assassin hiding in a post-box.