“From beasts we scorn as soulless, Source
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In forest, field and den,
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The cry goes up to witness
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The soullessness of men.”
Henry S. Salt – The Savour of Salt: A Henry Salt Anthology
The Power of Poetic Justice
Few verses capture the essence of animal advocacy as poignantly as these four lines. This short stanza packs a profound philosophical punch. It forces us to confront a comfortable lie that humanity has told itself for centuries. Specifically, we often dismiss animals as mere biological machines without spirits. We use this supposed lack of a soul to justify our dominion and exploitation of the natural world. However, the poet flips this arrogance on its head.
The verse suggests a terrifying irony. By treating living creatures with cruelty, we do not prove their lack of a soul. Instead, we demonstrate the absence of our own. The “cry” of the beast becomes a testimony against human morality. Consequently, the poem acts as a mirror. It reflects our own spiritual bankruptcy back at us through the suffering of the innocent.
For decades, animal welfare activists have rallied behind these words. The stanza appears on brochures, websites, and even protest signs. Yet, a mystery has long shadowed these powerful lines. For a long time, the true voice behind this condemnation remained obscure. Literary detectives have finally solved this puzzle, but the journey to the truth involves many twists.
Uncovering the True Creator
We can now definitively identify the original author of this masterpiece. Source M. Frida Hartley penned these enduring words. She was a British social activist deeply committed to the welfare of animals. .
Hartley did not merely write a four-line quatrain. In fact, she composed a longer, more comprehensive poem. The complete work explores the evolving relationship between humanity and the animal kingdom. It contrasts old laws, which viewed animals as property, with a new, rising consciousness of compassion. The four famous lines serve as the emotional core of her argument.
Upon its release, the poem resonated with readers immediately. The Spectator, a prestigious British publication, provided a perfect platform for her message. Hartley’s work challenged the status quo of 1928. At that time, animal rights were still a budding concept in many circles. Her words gave a voice to the voiceless. Therefore, restoring her name to this work is an act of historical justice.
The Erosion of Authorship
Unfortunately, literary works often detach from their creators as they circulate. This phenomenon occurred rapidly with Hartley’s poem. Initially, other publications respected her credit. For example, The Globe in Toronto reprinted the poem in 1930. They correctly cited M. Frida Hartley and acknowledged The Spectator. This early reprint proves that her authorship was public knowledge at the time.
However, the connection began to fade as the years passed. The poem traveled through newsletters, sermons, and oral recitations. Somewhere along the way, Hartley’s name dropped off. By the 1970s, the lines had become effectively anonymous. Writers and speakers used the verse but could no longer identify its source.
This loss of attribution is common in the world of advocacy. Often, the message becomes more important than the messenger. Activists share quotes that inspire them, rarely pausing to verify the origin. Consequently, Hartley’s specific contribution vanished into the general fog of “anonymous” wisdom. Her sharp critique of human nature remained, but her identity disappeared.
The Ghost Story Connection
A specific instance in 1974 highlights this confusion. Jan Bryant Bartell published a book titled Spindrift: Spray from a Psychic Sea. This work, a posthumous collection of memoirs and ghost stories, features the verse prominently. Bartell’s narrator encounters the lines in an animal cemetery.
In the book, the narrator reflects on the inscriptions found on pet graves. She quotes the poem but notes that the author is unknown. This moment in literature cemented the poem’s status as an “orphan” work. Bartell did not intend to steal credit. She simply reflected the lack of knowledge prevalent in her time.
Moreover, this publication introduced the lines to a new audience interested in the paranormal and the spiritual. Readers of Spindrift likely assumed the verse was ancient or folkloric. Thus, the poem drifted further away from the social activist who wrote it in 1928. It became a ghostly echo, fitting for a book about the supernatural.
Anonymous Letters and Public Memory
The pattern of anonymity continued well into the 1980s. In 1985, a concerned citizen wrote to The Whig-Standard in Kingston, Ontario. The letter writer responded to a disturbing news report about animal experimentation. Specifically, they referenced a cat subjected to brain implants.
To express their horror, the writer quoted Hartley’s lines. However, they attributed the words to “Anonymous.” This incident demonstrates how the poem functioned in the pre-internet era. People memorized the rhythm and the rhyme because the message moved them. They carried the words in their hearts but lost the bibliographical details.
This era of lost credit speaks to the power of the poem itself. The words survived on their own merit. They did not need a famous name attached to them to remain relevant. Nevertheless, this detachment denied Hartley the recognition she deserved. She had crafted a specific argument for her time, yet history had reduced her to a nameless voice.
The Internet and New Misunderstandings
The digital age brought both solutions and new problems. On one hand, the internet allows for rapid fact-checking. On the other hand, it spreads misinformation at lightning speed. In 2016, a new myth regarding the poem emerged on social media. A user on Twitter attributed the verse to William Ralph Inge.
Inge was a well-known Anglican priest and author, often called “The Gloomy Dean.” He wrote extensively on religion and society. Someone likely conflated his general views or other writings with Hartley’s poem. Once the tweet appeared, the error multiplied. Other users shared the quote card, assuming the attribution was correct.
This misattribution is particularly ironic. Inge was a public figure with a distinct voice, whereas Hartley was a less famous activist. The internet often gravitates toward famous names. It acts like a magnet, pulling orphan quotes toward recognizable historical figures. However, no evidence links Inge to this specific poem. The style and the publication history point solely to Hartley.
Correcting the Record
Fortunately, diligent scholars have worked to correct these errors. Ingrid Newkirk, the president of PETA, played a crucial role in this restoration. In 2005, she published an essay within a book about C.S. Lewis. In this text, she correctly identified M. Frida Hartley as the author.
Newkirk’s citation proved that the knowledge had not disappeared completely. Serious researchers and dedicated animal advocates had maintained the link. They dug through the archives of The Spectator and verified the 1928 date.
We must prioritize accuracy in the information age. When we credit the wrong person, we erase the history of women activists like Hartley. She fought for animal welfare during a specific era. Her work deserves to stand under her own name. Therefore, we must actively correct the record whenever we see the poem attributed to “Anonymous” or William Inge.
The Legacy of M. Frida Hartley
Why does this attribution matter? It matters because M. Frida Hartley represents a lineage of compassion. She was part of a generation that began to question humanity’s absolute dominion over nature. Her poem was not just a pretty arrangement of words. It was a political and spiritual act.
By identifying the author, we can better understand the context of the poem. We see it as part of the 1920s dialogue on ethics. We realize that the fight for animal rights has deep roots. It is not a modern fad. Rather, it is a long-standing moral struggle that writers like Hartley championed nearly a century ago.
Furthermore, knowing the author adds weight to the words. We know a real person stood behind this sentiment. She looked at the world, saw the suffering of “beasts,” and felt compelled to write. She used her talent to advocate for those who could not speak.
Conclusion
The verse “From beasts we scorn as soulless” remains a powerful indictment of human cruelty. Its journey from The Spectator in 1928 to modern social media feeds highlights its enduring relevance. While the internet has confused the authorship at times, it also gives us the tools to set the record straight.
We now know the truth. M. Frida Hartley wrote these words. She saw the “soullessness of men” in the way we treat animals. Today, we honor her insight by quoting her correctly. We ensure that her cry for compassion continues to echo, carrying her name alongside her message.