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Samuel Johnson

The creator of the Dictionary was born on the 18th of September 1709, in Lichfield Staffordshire.

His beginnings were humble, as his father was not much more than a bookshop owner, and this coupled with almost constant illness due to his contraction of scrofula when he was a baby, giving him poor eyesight, hearing and dreadful scarring, made Samuel a somewhat disadvantaged young man.

However, despite having to leave grammar school after only 13 months due to family money issues, and a failed career as a teacher, he did manage to find a career as a writer with a medium amount of success, creating works such as the poem “London” in 1738 and the biography of Richard Savage in 1744.

He'd also found love with a widower called Elizabeth Porter who was some twenty years older than him, resulting in marriage in 1735.

History came calling for him in 1747, as after Samuel had established himself as a writer of some repute, he was approached by a group of publishers to create The Dictionary.

The following work took some eight years, with Samuel employing six people to help in its creation from his home on fleet street.

Despite the death of his wife in 1752, he worked diligently until the Dictionary was finally published on the 15th of April 1755, assuring his place in history.

Whilst he did suffer from some financial difficulties, which were resolved in 1762 by the British Crown granting him a state pension, the man had no trouble making friends, with his robust in nature personality and hilarious conversation.

These friends included but were not limited to Edmund Burke, Oliver Goldsmith, David Garrick, etc.

Samuel passed away on the 13th of December 1784, and is now interred at Westminster Abbey.

Websites used.

Www.bbc.co.uk/history

www.drjohnsonshouse.org

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Alfred Tennyson

Poet laureate from 1850 until his death – the longest time anyone has ever held the position – 42 years

One of the most well-known and most quoted poets of all time

As a child, he liked to read and was writing poetry from a very young age (one poem he wrote aged 12 was 6000 lines long)

He was born in Lincolnshire, England in 1809

He was still writing poetry when he died in 1892 and he is buried in Poets Corner of Westminster Abbey

He attended Trinity college of Cambridge where he became friends with Henry Hallam, received a gold medal for one of his poems and also joined a club of intellectuals who were known as ‘The Apostles’

In 1827 a book of poems written by Tennyson and 3 of his brothers was published

He published his first solo poetry collection in 1830

In 1833 he published a second collection which included ‘The Lady of Shalott’ and because of criticisms received for this second collection he wasn’t published again for 10 years.

His poetry covers subjects like medieval legends, historical events, everyday life and the surrounding nature.

He has been described as being the saddest of English poets possibly due to his battle with depression

There is a 210km walking trail in Lincolnshire which takes in many of the sites which are associated with his childhood. There is a second trail on the Isle of Wight, where he also lived

Tennyson suffered from depression and visited a sanatorium for help with his diet and body wraps

Thomas Edison made recordings of Tennyson reading some of his works, including the Charge of the Light Brigade written in 1854, which has been heavily featured in TV and films recently – Casualty 1900s, Ed Sullivan TV show and a Star Trek episode.

He was the fourth of 12 children who were all well-spoken, as their father was a rector.

There have been many disputes as to Tennyson’s sexual orientation. He is said to have been attracted to women but some of his work suggests that he may not have been.

He had a lifelong fear of mental illness as several men in his family suffered from a mild form of epilepsy which at the time was thought to be a shameful disease – his brother, Edward may have had this as he died in a private mental asylum.

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William Shakespeare

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Introduction to Literature - Research on a given writer

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The Rebellion of Mary Ann Evans, the Woman Who Changed Her Name and Became a Legend

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The Rebellion of Mary Ann Evans, the Woman Who Changed Her Name and Became a Legend

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George Eliot is considered one of history’s greatest literary names, and Mary Ann Evans, the woman behind the name, played a key role in the recognition of talented female writers in the 19th century. She had condemned many of the stories written by her contemporaries, dubbing them trivial and self-indulgent. Her own writing was the antithesis of such triviality, exploring themes such as suffering, society and spirituality. Her major works include Adam Bede (1859), The Mill on the Floss (1860), Silas Marner (1861), Middlemarch (1871-72) and Daniel Deronda (1876).

Eliot was born Mary Ann Evans on 22nd November 1819 in Warwickshire, England. The youngest of the household, her life was dominated by her father and older brother, as was the norm at that time. Her father, a strict and religious estate owner, recognised that his daughter would never be seen as conventionally beautiful, and deemed it important for her to be educated, to spare her what otherwise could have been a tough life without intelligence or beauty. Indeed, one of the most remarked upon aspects of Evans was that of her appearance; she was widely regarded to be plain-looking, at best, and hideously ugly, at worst. Her mother died in 1836 and Evans, at sixteen, returned from boarding school to stay home and care for her father. Over the next few years she displayed a voracious thirst for knowledge, teaching herself modern and ancient languages, philosophy, theology and history, to name a few subjects.

When Evans was twenty-one, she and her father moved to Coventry where she befriended the free-thinking Charles and Cara Bray, and through them, a number of other progressives with non-conformist ideas. Her intellect blossomed in the light of their attention. It was during this time that Evans published her first major literary work: an English translation of Strauss’s The Life of Jesus, a fifteen-hundred-page theological work of German, Latin, Greek and Hebrew, questioning the truth of the gospels. This was a great accomplishment that earned her much recognition and esteem with intellectuals throughout the country, but also an unspeakable mark of shame from her father, who lived by the gospels – the very ones his daughter had disputed. He was furious when she told him of her wavering religious faith and threatened to throw her out of their home, but she continued to attend church and so his threat went unrealised. He died in 1849, and five days after his funeral, Evans travelled to Switzerland with the Brays, where she decided to stay alone for a year.

On her return to England, Evans moved to London to write, where she edited for a newspaper. This was a time of much heartache for her. Most likely a result of the lack of approval she received from her father, she developed a series of emotional attachments to older, often married men, who did not reciprocate her feelings. Later on in life, the loneliness that Evans felt during this time would lend itself well to her characterisation of the titular character in her novel, Silas Marner, whose isolated existence is changed forever when he takes in a child after discovering its mother lying lifeless in the snow. Like her character, Evans’ life also changed in 1854 when she met George Henry Lewes, a philosopher and literary critic, who was in an open marriage. They quickly fell in love. Within a few years they had moved in together, although because Lewes allowed himself to be falsely named as father on the birth certificates of his wife’s illegitimate children, he was considered to be complicit in adultery, and therefore he was not legally able to divorce her. Evans and Lewes considered themselves married, and that was enough for them. They visited Germany together for research purposes, affectionately terming this their honeymoon; Evans introduced herself with his surname, and Lewes as her husband. Their openness about their relationship in spite of Lewes’ marriage was the cause of much scandal; Evans had written letters to her friends and received no reply. Her brother had soon severed all contact with her upon learning of her mistress-esque antics, and also forbade their sister from having any contact with her.

In 1856, Evans wrote a manifesto titled Silly Novels by Lady Novelists. The essay criticised the ridiculous plots of fiction written by many women. She would protect her future works from this rather overpopulated pigeon-hole. And so George Eliot was born. Her mask. There was much interest in who this new mysterious writer could be when she published her first major novel, Adam Bede, three years later. Only when a journalist claimed to be George Eliot did Evans decide to step forward, merging her personal life, scandals and all, with the ever-increasing popularity of the writer’s name.  She continued to gain a dedicated fan base over the next fifteen years. Her next novel, The Mill on the Floss, completed in 1860, contained autobiographical elements, as it followed siblings Maggie and Tom Tulliver through the changes in their relationship and the ups and down of familial life, reflecting Evans’ early life and own tumultuous history with her brother.

Her final two novels, Middlemarch and Daniel Deronda, would go on to solidify her as one of the superior literary minds of her time. The former title has been named the “greatest novel in the English language” by novelists Martin Amis and Julian Barnes. The latter tells the story of hero Daniel Deronda as he embarks on a quest to discover the truth about his Jewish origins. His story was no doubt conceived from Evans’ fascination with the Anti-Semitic sentiments running through Victorian England and greater Europe at the time.

Eliot became one of the richest women in England, and her social acceptance was finally validated when she met Princess Louise, who told her that her mother, Queen Victoria herself, was an avid reader of her work, and even sought her autograph.

After more than twenty-five happy years with George Henry Lewes, he died in 1878 shortly after the couple moved to Surrey, with Lewes in ill health for some time. Evans was of course grief-stricken, and was not seen for quite a while after. Lewes was buried in London, and Evans edited his final work, Life and Mind, seeing it through to publication. She found love again two years later, with a man twenty years her junior, one John Cross. News of her marriage pleased her brother who had reinstated contact and sent his congratulations. Cross was battling depression, and while they were on honeymoon in Venice, he flung himself into the Grand Canal from their hotel balcony. He survived, and the newlyweds returned to England. Evans had been battling kidney disease for a number of years, and not long after she also developed a throat infection, further weakening her. She died on 22nd December 1880 at aged 61. She was buried in Highgate, London, next to her lifelong love, George Henry Lewes.

Mary Ann Evans’ life is one that inspires. Here is a woman that defied the pressures of her family, at the cost her relationship with them. Here is a woman who rebelled against the expectations of her society, but went on to win their hearts. She overcame the dark times in her life and shined as the great George Eliot.

Sources:

George Eliot: A Scandalous Life by Steve Attridge

George Eliot's Life, as Related in Her Letters and Journals by John Walter Cross
The Mill on the Floss Themes by Shmoop Editorial Team

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Holly Andrews

Jane Austen

Jane Austen was born on the 6th of December 1775 in Hampshire. She died in July of 1817 after a year of illness and is buried at Winchester Cathedral.

She was the second youngest of eight children and had one older sister, Catherine, whom she adored. Her father was a member of the church and a tutor, who much encouraged her work, giving his children free access to his library.

Her work differed from the style of most of her contemporary novelists in that it focussed largely on the real life experiences of the women of her time as opposed to the more fantastical leanings of much of the novels at the time. This was the structure in which she built her interactions, misunderstandings, intrigues and eventual happy endings. And expressed her often rather witty social commentary in the dynamics and opinions of her characters. An example being Mrs Bennett as an expression of the priorities of the middle class. A less humorous one- Charlotte being unable to afford to choose to marry for love and Lizzie’s opinion of it.

She put out her work under the simple but bold pseudonym- A Lady and only the release of Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, after her death in the July of 1817, actually put on the page that she was the author. The rest of them merely saying; by the author of (insert past works here).

Her first published novel was Sense and Sensibility in 1811.

Although she primarily wrote romances she never married.

She had some trouble with publishers early on, possibly because it was not seen as respectable at the time for women to write. Her elder brother Henry was often her go-between.

An early draft of Pride and prejudice, arguably her most famous work, (eventually published in 1913) when sent to a publisher by her father, was refused without being read. One of her last published works, Northanger Abbey, then titled Susan, was sent to a publisher who paid 10 pounds for an early copyright and then failed to so anything with it. They refused to publish it or return it unless she brought back the publishing rights.

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A brief summary of the life and works of Oscar Wilde.

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A brief summary of the life and works of Oscar Wilde.

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Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1954 to a wealthy and well educated family. His father was an acclaimed doctor and founder of St Mark's Ophthalmic Hospital, his mother a poet and skilled linguist. The success of his parents enabled him to have a fine education in some of Ireland and Britain's best school's and Universities.

In 1884 Oscar Wilde married an equally wealthy English woman, Constance Wilde. They had two sons together.

During 1888 Oscar Wilde began a seven year period of 'furious creativity'. During this time he wrote and published nearly all of his greatest works such including The Picture of Dorian Grey. Oscar Wilde's only novel, which has been deemed a piece of classic, Gothic literature.
Oscar Wilde's first play, 'Lady Windermere's Fan' opened in 1892. The play's popularity led Wilde to take up playwriting and become one of the most successful playwrights of the Victorian era in London. The play's 'The Importance of being Earnest', 'An Ideal Husband' and 'A Woman of no importance' were amongst his greatest works.

Around 1891, during the time of this creative success for Wilde, he had began to have an affair with a young man, Lord Alfred Douglas.
In 1895 Douglas's father - The Marquis of Queensberry, John Douglas, became aware of his son and Wilde's affair, and left a calling card at Wilde's home addressed to 'Oscar Wilde; Posing Sodomite'. Wilde was so outraged by this, he attempted to sue John Douglas for libel.
When Wilde had taken John Douglas to court, the judge was presented with evidence of Wilde's homosexuality by John Douglas, love letters to Lord Alfred Douglas and extracts of Wilde's own work. Within three months Oscar Wilde's attempt to sue John Douglas for libel had turned to Wilde's arrest and two years imprisonment for 'gross indecency'.

Wilde was released in 1897, exhausted, poor and shrowded by the controversy of his exposed sexuality, Wilde exiled himself to France and never returned to Ireland or Britain again.
During his imprisonment, Constance Wilde and their two sons moved to Switzerland and changed their surnames names to 'Holland'.
Wilde spent the rest of his life 'living in cheap hotels and in friend's apartments' until he died of meningitis in 1900 at the age of 46. His only notable work since his release from prison was, 'The Battle of Reading Goal' a poem written on his experiences in prison.

Sources:
Goodreads.com, Biography.com, BBC History, Wilde-online.info .

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Mary Shelley (30 August 1797 - 1 February 1851)

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Mary Shelley (30 August 1797 - 1 February 1851)

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Mary Shelley is best known for her gothic novel 'Frankenstein.

Shelley was the daughter of a philosopher and political writer William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft a famous feminist. Her mother died shortly after her birth, and her father remarried to Mary Jane Clairemont who brought her own two children into the family.  Her stepmother decided that Mary did not need an education and she was left behind when her stepsister Jane went to boarding school. Despite not having a full education Mary took full advantage of her father's library and could often be found reading.

Mary was living in Scotland in 1814 when, against her father's wishes she started her relationship with a poet called Percy Shelley who was one of her father's political followers.  Due to her father’s disapproval of her relationship she spent some time alienated from him, in fact she, Percy and her stepsister Jane moved back to England.

The idea for writing Frankenstein came one summer when the Shelley’s were in Switzerland with Lord Byron amongst others. After an afternoon spent reading ghost stories it was Lord Byron that came up with the idea that they should all give writing a ghost story a go, This was the beginning of Frankenstein.

Mary married Percy, but an unfortunate boating accident meant that at aged just 24 she was left a widow, unable to financially support both herself, her son and eager to preserve her late husband’s poetry she wrote more novels, including 'Valperga' and 'The Last Man' in 1826.

Many arguments suggest that the credit for writing Frankenstein should go to Mary's husband as some evidence suggests that he made up to 5,000 changes to the novel and that he perhaps even wrote parts before it was published however Mary Shelley still remains the only credited author of Frankenstein.

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John Keats – The Romantic
Poet.                                                                                                          


John Keats was a well-established poet in the second
generation of the most important romantic writers between 1788 and 1822. Keats
was born in London on the 31st October 1795, although according to research his
family marked his birthday on the 29th October. 

Keats’ father worked as a hostler at stables attached to The
Swan Inn. He later managed them, and the family resided there for many years. Keats
attended a boarding school in Enfield in 1803. A year later his father died after
falling from a horse during a visit. Keats and his 3 siblings went into the
care of their grandmother. Keats’ mother died when he was 14. 

In 1815 Keats registered at Guys Hospital studying as a
medical student, and was promoted to dresser within the first month assisting
surgeons during operations. His family assumed that he would have a life long
career in medicine. Keats’ medical training took up a large portion of his time
and his ambition to become a writer grew. He announced that he was destined to
be a poet, and his future didn’t lie within medicine.

In 1816, Leigh Hunt agreed to publish the sonnet ‘O Solitude’
in his liberal magazine. This was the first print of Keats’ poetry.  He wrote over 200 poems between 1816 and 1821,
but only 54 were published just 4 years before his death.

Keats’ literature centred romanticism, but not aimed directly
around love. The poems he wrote described in detail surrounding nature,
naturalism and the way it made him feel, using spiritual exploration and boldness.
Most of Keats’ poetry was critically acclaimed although wasn’t a commercial success.
But coming into the 20th century it became more popular.

In 1821 John Keats died from tuberculosis at the age of 25
in Rome. 

 

 

 

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John Keats – The Romantic
Poet.                                                                                                          


John Keats was a well-established poet in the second
generation of the most important romantic writers between 1788 and 1822. Keats
was born in London on the 31st October 1795, although according to research his
family marked his birthday on the 29th October. 

Keats’ father worked as a hostler at stables attached to The
Swan Inn. He later managed them, and the family resided there for many years. Keats
attended a boarding school in Enfield in 1803. A year later his father died after
falling from a horse during a visit. Keats and his 3 siblings went into the
care of their grandmother. Keats’ mother died when he was 14. 

In 1815 Keats registered at Guys Hospital studying as a
medical student, and was promoted to dresser within the first month assisting
surgeons during operations. His family assumed that he would have a life long
career in medicine. Keats’ medical training took up a large portion of his time
and his ambition to become a writer grew. He announced that he was destined to
be a poet, and his future didn’t lie within medicine.

In 1816, Leigh Hunt agreed to publish the sonnet ‘O Solitude’
in his liberal magazine. This was the first print of Keats’ poetry.  He wrote over 200 poems between 1816 and 1821,
but only 54 were published just 4 years before his death.

Keats’ literature centred romanticism, but not aimed directly
around love. The poems he wrote described in detail surrounding nature,
naturalism and the way it made him feel, using spiritual exploration and boldness.
Most of Keats’ poetry was critically acclaimed although wasn’t a commercial success.
But coming into the 20th century it became more popular.

In 1821 John Keats died from tuberculosis at the age of 25
in Rome. 

 

 

 

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Samuel Taylor COLERIDGE

Coleridge was a poet, critic and philosophiser of Romanticism. He was born in 1772, and was the son of a vicar. In his childhood, he attended Christ’s Hospital school, and as a young adult, Jesus’ College. Throughout school, it was noted that Coleridge had a dreamy attitude and a way of talking that bought people to him – a large circle of friends was never too far away!

As an adult, along with a close friend, Southey, he married and began a business venture – however, this was short-lived due to monetary quarrels, and he soon retired to Clevedon with his wife Sara. June 1797 proved to be a poignant time for English Romanticism overall, as this was when he met William Wordsworth and his sister, Dorothy. The intense relationship between the three blossomed through a love of poetry, walking and critical discussion. It was through Wordsworth that Coleridge found the motivation and encouragement to write ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ which recounts a nightmare sea-voyage.

He has been highly criticised throughout history, being labelled a plagiarist, as well as a drug addict (his addiction to opium has never gone unnoticed). This could have been part of the reason for the breakdown of his marriage, but this has yet to be proven.

It is said that a poet ‘must have a fully active consciousness’ and yet Coleridge has been repeatedly slandered for his works, them being listed as nothing but ‘...a handful of magical early poems’ while he himself had naught but a wrecked career. However, alongside Wordsworth, his highly imaginative criticism is now widely generally accepted and he has been branded as one of the greatest progenitors of English Romanticsm.