A. A. Milne's Magical World "Deep in the hundred acre woods, where Christopher Robin plays, you'll find the enchanted neighborhood of Christopher's childhood days." (Walt Disney's The Many Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh) Throughout his seventy-four years on Earth, Alan Alexander Milne provided millions with magic, mysticism, and above all, an escape from reality into the imagination. His beautiful stories, specifically those of a young boy and his bear (Winnie-the-Pooh), exquisitely described the friendly place called The Hundred Acre Woods that so many people now dream of. In fact, there are complete religious standards that have been derived almost directly from Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh. And though his life may not have always been perfect, Milne's wonderful tales never failed to create a utopian setting.
A. A. Milne was born on January 18, 1882. His parents were John Vine Milne and Sarah Marie Milne. (Second Plays) As a child, he attended the school for young boys that his father ran.
Original Winnie the Pooh stuffed toys. Clockwise f...
Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends debuted on NBC Tel...
RCA Victor record from 1932 decorated with Stephen...Milne was never terribly close to his mother and would often eschew her. Milne referred to her as "restfully aloof." (Page at Pooh Corner) His parents had three children, all sons. Milne was the youngest and often wished he had a sister. At the school he attended, Henley House, he had teachers that included H. G. Wells, who undoubtedly helped ignite his flame for writing. (The Oxford Companion to English Literature) As you can see, he was exposed to writing influence even from an early age.
In 1915, Milne went into the army and left his job as editor of Punch magazine. When he returned, his friend, Owen Seaman told him that they had replaced him with someone they all liked more. At first, this disappointed Milne, but soon he realized that he was an avid writer. He preferred writing plays and maintaining his own schedule. (Second Plays) He liked the intricacy of writing plays and seeing them performed. He wrote tons of plays and got much critical acclaim, but his first big hit was Mr. Pim Passes By. (Oxford Companion to English Literature) Milne had now established himself as a recognizable author.
In 1924, Milne published his first story that included his son, Christopher Robin, When We Were Very Young. It sold over fifty thousand copies within eight weeks of it's first publication. (Minneapolis Star Tribune) For it, he hired the illustrator from Punch, E. H. Shephard. The two made a wonderful team, and soon, they released Winnie-the-Pooh, which exceeded the popularity of the poems. (U.S. News and World Report) By watching his son and his relationship with his toys, Milne was able to grasp and describe a world so beautiful and pure, it's like no other.
Soon, the world knew Pooh. Entire books and moral systems were written based on the philosophies and stylings of Winnie-the-Pooh. The little bear has even been described as being "...amazingly consistent with the principles of living envisioned long ago by the Chinese founders of Taoism." (The Tao of Pooh) The thoughtfulness expressed between all the characters in Milne's stories and just the generally halcyon atmosphere can be looked at as an ideal way for anyone to live. In fact, Winnie-the-Pooh means more to some than just a stuffed animal locked away in a little boy's imagination, but actually an proper way to base one's own existence.
Milne's books and plays continue not only individuals, but entire societies. The future of not only Pooh, but of all of Milne's works is limitless.
With a little help from Walt Disney and his creation of Winnie-the-Pooh feature length films, Pooh is today a household name. When Disney produced the cartoons, the world also started to read Milne's books again, so it would seem that as long as Pooh is alive, nothing can impede Milne's books' popularity from also sticking around. The future of Pooh is as unpredictable as the future of a religion or ethnic group.
As is obvious through his success, Milne stayed on top through all trials and tribulations. From his early life and plays, his relationships with his parents and son, to the international success of Winnie-the-Pooh, Milne may even be classified as a genius. Alan Alexander Milne truly created a magical world for all to run and escape to.
Disney's adaptation of Stephen Slesinger, Inc.'s W...
English: Winnie the Pooh character at Walt Disney ...
Pooh!