Lost quotations
Who uses the Medusa’s eye? Have you heard a chorus of frogs? Do you know who Gentle Dobbin is?
Who uses the Medusa’s eye? Have you heard a chorus of frogs? Do you know who Gentle Dobbin is?
The library keeps a running list of frequently asked for ‘lost’ quotations that for some reason have come up time and time again, so perhaps we can help you track down the poem you are looking for.
Back in the early days of the library, the service was operated using two large ‘Lost Quotations’ boards, but these have now been replaced with an online service which can reach many more people in a much shorter time.
‘The life that I have is all that I have’
Leo Marks
Two of our most commonly sought after poems are ‘Times Paces (Lines on a Clock in Chester Cathedral)’ by Henry Twells, a poem which is actually fixed to the front of the clock-case in the north transept of Chester Cathedral, and ‘Code Poem for the French Resistance’, a short poem by Leo Marks which was one of many famous poems used to encrypt allied messages in the early years of the Second World War.
Get in touch
If you’re trying to identify a poem from snippet get in touch, we might be able to help.
For your visit
National Poetry Library Southbank Centre
The National Poetry Library is open six days a week.
Tuesday, 12 noon – 6pm
Wednesday – Sunday, 12 noon – 8pm
Getting here
The National Poetry Library is on Level 5 of our Royal Festival Hall.
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
We’re cash-free
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Study & library use
The library is London’s only space dedicated to poetry study. Visitors studying another subject or looking for a place to work are kindly asked to find an alternative space in the Royal Festival Hall.
