Dawn, and the Sunset, and the Colours of the Earth

Dawn was theirs, and sunset, and the colours of the earth
-Rupert Brooke

I just finished reading Michael F. Flynn's novelette titled "Dawn, and the Sunset, and the Colours of the Earth" in the Oct/Nov issue of Asimov's. Lovely title, isn't it? Flynn took it from a poem by Rupert Brooke, and quotes a stanza of the same poem later in the piece. Flynn teases the reader by refusing to identify the poet- a tease made all the worse by his mention of a boat named Odyssey right around the time the stanza is quoted. I fell right into the trap, and browsed through an online version of the Odyssey looking for all the (many) references to Dawn and Sunset. Further research revealed the true source of the quote was the fourth of a series of five sonnets (plus prelude) written by travel writer turned WWI soldier, Rupert Brooke. According to the Rupert Brooke Society, the most famous poem of the series was The Soldier, though Brooke's personal favorite was Death (IV)- and Michael Flynn seems to be taken with it, as well.

Here is the series of sonnets:
The Treasure (written in August 1914)
1. Peace (numbered sonnets written in the autumn of 1914 after the outbreak of WWI)
2. Safety
3. The Dead
4. The Dead
5. The Soldier

In true dramatic fashion, Brooke died in April of 1915, just as his published sonnets were beginning to meet with fame and acclaim.

So what does Rupert Brooke's poem have to do with a science fiction novelette? You'll have to read it for yourself to find out. I can tell you that you'll encounter the stories and perspectives of many people whose lives were touched by the incident on the Bay, read some emails, and even read a little play. Flynn does a great job building a sense of mystery, and tying all these little stories and snippets together into a tale almost- but not quite- as beautiful as Brooke's sonnet.