While Still at Eton He Became the Youngest Ever to Take a Bachelor of Music at Oxford University
His Eton life was one variety
Upon another. Many genres came
From him. He almost had a piety
About his football, playing every game
(Or nearly), ending senior keeper of
The field. He played. He sang. He gave debate
On topics such as Homer. Still his love
Of music was the balancing, the weight
That gave him guidance, and the anchor held
For use when needed. Violins were not
Alone. He wrote out anthem, song, and spelled
Out fugue. Such scores became his central plot.
Despite his threatened heart, he went all in.
The music and the boy were set to win.
This poem is part of a shorter sonnet sequence within this large sonnet sequence called The Encyclopedia Sonnetica. The shorter sonnet sequence is called “A Lively Hope.” I recommend you read this poem where it is set in its sonnet sequence. To do that, search for “A Lively Hope” here in The Encyclopedia Sonnetica, or you may see an illustrated version the entire shorter sequence at
https://classicalpoets.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/A-Lively-Hope.pdf
where it was first published.