2. Poet Introduction

George Leslie Norris was born on \(21\) May \(1921\) in South Wales. Wales is a part of the United Kingdom and is bordered by England and the Irish sea. Norris, therefore, had the influence of English in his works. He was born to a very simple family and had to go through a lot of hardships as he grew up. He survived the First World War, after which the financial situation of his family declined. His father, who was a miner initially, had to get the job of a milkman to survive. Norris also encountered the Great Depression when he was in Wales. The Great Depression took place in the \(1930s\) and was characterised by an economic decline.

 

He initially attended the George town Primary School till \(1931\) but had to shift to Cyfarthfa Castle Grammar School due to these issues. Norris was very interested in reading books and playing sports, especially boxing and football. His interest in reading books made him realise that he had a passion for writing poetry. By the age of \(12\), he decided that his career would revolve around writing. But before delving into the realm of poetry, he joined the Royal Air Force during the Second World War when he was \(19\). He also trained as a Pilot but had to quit owing to certain medical issues. He also worked as a referee for soccer matches.

 

Norris used to listen to famous poets like Dylan Thomas, to get inspired and write poems. He was a teacher in Somerset from \(1952\). He worked hard and became a headmaster as well. He became a professor at the University of Washington. He published his first poem in \(1938\) and his first poetry collection 'Finding Gold' in \(1967\). With the publication of this collection, he got a huge appreciation and became an established poet. Norris is also a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

 

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