Born in the middle of the Tang Dynasty in 701, Li Po was one of the most prominent writers of his time in China, developing poetic art and producing about 1000 poems in his life time. He and fellow poet Du Fu were responsible for a golden time in Chinese writing, exploring relationships, the natural […]

Born in Wales in 1593, George Herbert was an important figure in the world of poetry and an influence on the growth of the metaphysical movement that speculated on notions of love and religion. A gifted speaker and popular Anglican priest, he came from a well to do family who were interested and active in […]

Brian Patten was born in Liverpool in 1946 and is famous for his lyrical poems that are aimed at children and adults. Growing up in a working class area of the city, like many of his compatriots he left school at the early age of fifteen, heading to work as a reporter in Bootle at […]

Born in 1822, poet Matthew Arnold is considered one of the major writers of the Victorian era. Over his life he was heavily involved in education as an inspector of schools and his works show a keen interest in addressing the social issues of the day. He was initially educated by his uncle before attending […]

Better known for literary masterpieces such as A Farewell to Arms and The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway was born in 1899 and went on to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. Whilst in later years he gained the reputation as an avid hunter and inveterate drinker, Hemingway wrote a great […]