A.A. Milne: The Wisdom of Winnie the Pooh

There's a safe place to be found in the Hundred Acre Wood, and comfort for children and adults alike

The characters from "Winnie the Pooh" are among the most recognizable of any children's books ever written. MovieStillsDB

Every adult knows that the world is a scary place. We try to shield our children in a safe environment that allows them to develop the confidence and assurance to, one day, confront this scariness. Children that lack this nurturing atmosphere sadly tend to learn maladaptive ways of dealing with the world.

Less obvious is that adults, too, sometimes need to experience the nostalgia of childhood to prevent being overwhelmed by cares and anxieties. Often, the best way to do this is by sharing the experience of an imaginary world with one’s own child. And there’s one author, more than any other, who captures the essence of both childhood hope and grown-up wistfulness.

The Birth of Pooh

Alan Alexander Milne was born in 1882 in England. He grew up in a boarding school, Henley House, that was run by his father; one of Milne’s teachers was famous science fiction writer H.G. Wells. He found his first literary success as a humorist for Punch magazine before enlisting in World War I, during which he witnessed firsthand the horrors of the Somme. Although he had always been opposed to war, he became an ardent pacifist upon returning to Britain. After attaining prominence as a playwright, he achieved immortality when he turned his hand to children’s literature.