Laurence Binyon

March 10, 1943 
Today is the anniversary of the death of the English poet, dramatist, and art scholar Laurence Binyon.

During Laurence’s time at Trinity College, Oxford, he won the Newdigate poetry prize.
Some of Laurence’s work referenced the garden as in this beautiful verse about spring:

They will come again, the leaf and the flower, to arise
From squalor of rottenness into the old splendour,
And magical scents to a wondering memory bring;
The same glory, to shine upon different eyes.

Today, Laurence is best remembered for his World War I poem, “For the Fallen,” which captured the hearts and grief of the British public during the war’s darkest days.
The fourth quatrain of “For the Fallen” become a famous inscription on memorials and tombstones:

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

In Sheffield, England, Laurence’s “For the Fallen” is on a marker at the Sheffield Peace Garden. The garden was redesigned for the millennium - including new garden spaces and more seating. The Garden is beloved for its fantastic fountains and water features. The cascades around the perimeter were designed to represent flowing molten steel - a nod to the city’s history as a center for steel production. The long troughs or channels honor the five rivers that powered Sheffield’s mills.

And then the glorious walk-in center fountain is perfectly centered in front of Sheffield’s magnificent gothic town hall. The garden is surrounded by gorgeous old buildings and shops and serves as a green space in the city center. And before COVID, it was the perfect spot to have a picnic, read a book, or people watch.
Every spring, tulip beds beckon visitors back to the park.