Walking on Graves at Westminister Abbey

This is the famous Westminister Abbey. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to take pictures inside. This is really a shame since it has the most ornate, elegant ceiling (in one of the wings) that is creme colored and carved in delicate swirls. My favorite part of Westminister Abbey was Poet's Corner. I saw Chaucer's grave and so many others. Chaucer was the first to be buried in Poet's Corner. It was interesting to me that Chaucer was valued as a government man and that's the reason he was buried in the Abbey. Only later did it become a Poet's Corner and he is now valued more for his writing than his politics.

I even walked on Lord Byron's grave. Lord Byron was the Elvis Presley of the Romantic Era; women actually swooned over him and his poetry! For all his writings about defying death, he died at a young age (early 30s) in battle fighting in a revolution. A very spirited man, indeed!

Is it morbid to say I enjoyed this walk over the graves of the poets and authors whose works I love so dearly? Maybe so, but I found it fascinating. I stopped for a while at Charles Dickens grave. I know many people have mixed feelings about this author because he is considered so lengthy. But to be honest, he was the reason I wanted to see Poet's Corner. I actually didn't know my other favorite, Chaucer, was buried there until I listened to the audio tour! This is why I love London. There is so much history everywhere. And all that history is intertwined with literature. Everywhere I look, there is something I have read about or a plaque saying an author I have read has been here. This is what fascinates me.