John Ruskin was a leading philanthropist of the 19th century who cared passionately about the poorer people in English society and the effects that the Industrial Revolution was having on their quality of life. He travelled widely, both as a boy with his family, and later in life. He loved the Alpine region and was influenced by the art, culture and architecture ...
Joseph Campbell was a relatively obscure Irish poet born in the late 19th century whose first language was Gaelic. Writing primarily in his native language he did, however, translate traditional poems and songs into English and he became best known for writing the words to accompany two famous Irish airs: My Lagan Love and Gartan Mother's Lullaby. Additionally, some of his poetry was ...
Born in Lincoln in 1703, John Wesley is most famous for being the founding father of Methodism but is was also a prolific writer of both prose and poetry. Wesley is noted for his clear writing and spiritual simplicity, something he may well have inherited from his poet father. At the age of 20, he followed in his father’s footsteps by ...
Born in Roxburghshire in Scotland around 1700, James Thomson is best known for providing the lyrics for the patriotic song Rule, Britannia and his masterful series of four poems under the collected title of The Seasons. Though his life was cut short by an untimely illness, his works are still well remembered today and he is seen as one of the ...
Born in 1828, Henry Timrod was an American poet who was strongly linked to the Confederate cause during the Civil War, writing many verses such as A Cry to Arms that did much to encourage men to enlist as hostilities got underway. Born in Charleston in the American South, his father was an amateur poet who ran a book binding shop ...
