A. A. Milne, father of Christopher Robin and creator of Winnie-the-Pooh, ended his career with a small verse in the New York Herald Tribune Book Review (12 October 1952) titled "Always Time for a Rhyme." The poem is the story of his life, in particular his literary life; it says in part:

Though a writer must confess his
Works aren't all of them successes,
Though his sermons fail to please,
Though his humor no one sees,
Yet he cannot help delighting
In the pleasure of the writing

Throughout much of his career Milne's primary means of attaining such pleasure and delight was not the children's story nor the drama--the genres for which he is best known--but the light essay.

Alan Alexander Milne was born in London on 18 January 1882 to John Vine Milne, a school-master at Henley House--a private boys' school--and Sarah Maria Heginbotham Milne. He attended Westminster School and then...