Rare Raymond Chandler poem is a tribute to his late wife, with a surprising twist

In late 1954, Raymond Chandler’s wife, Cissy Pascal Chandler, passed away after a prolonged battle with lung disease. This tragic loss plunged the renowned crime novelist into a deep and enduring depression, marked by heavy drinking, and ultimately led to his demise just five years later, at the age of 70.

During this period of personal turmoil, Chandler produced no significant literary works. However, he did create a brief, previously unpublished piece, which was unusual for him given that it was in a poetic format. This 27-line composition, titled “Requiem,” was written in the year following Cissy’s death. It stands as a poignant and fatalistic tribute to his beloved spouse of many years, with opening lines that evoke the atmosphere of a crime scene and a final farewell to the departed.

Chandler’s poem has resurfaced in the winter edition of Strand Magazine, a publication known for featuring rare pieces by literary giants like William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, and Tennessee Williams. The discovery of this poem was made by Strand’s editor-in-chief, Andrew Gulli, who stumbled upon it in a shoe box at the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Library.

Gulli expressed his appreciation for this departure from Chandler’s typically wise-cracking detective tales, highlighting the heartfelt nature of “Requiem.”

While Chandler had dabbled in poetry early in his career, these earlier efforts were often dismissed as “juvenilia.” However, Charles Ardai, a crime writer and the founder of the imprint Hard Case Crime, praised “Requiem” as a mature and touching addition to Chandler’s body of work, describing it as something that only a recently bereaved longtime spouse could produce.

The poem also reveals a surprising twist in Chandler’s sentiments. Despite his acceptance of his wife’s passing and the end of their “long, wild dream,” Chandler finds solace in the letters that preserve the memory of their enduring love.

However, it’s worth noting that these cherished letters are believed to have been destroyed by Chandler himself. Ardai suggests that this act might have been driven by Chandler’s tendency to flirt with self-destruction, as he had attempted suicide on several occasions, even after his wife’s passing. Alternatively, it could be attributed to his awareness of his impending mortality, leading him to view the letters as intensely private.

Raymond Chandler’s enduring connection with Cissy did not go unnoticed by their admirers. Despite Chandler’s failure to arrange formal burial documents, Cissy’s remains had been kept within a mausoleum in San Diego, their last place of residence. In a touching posthumous tribute, Chandler enthusiast Loren Latker successfully petitioned for Cissy’s interment alongside her husband at San Diego’s Mount Hope Cemetery in 2011, a poignant reunion on Valentine’s Day.

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More about Raymond Chandler Requiem

• Raymond Chandler – Wikipedia
• Strand Magazine
• Raymond Chandler’s “Requiem” Poem
• Hard Case Crime
• Raymond Chandler’s Biography
• Cissy Pascal Chandler