Born in Oregon in 1852, poet Edwin Markham preached love and social reform in his verses, often in stark contrast to some of his more pessimistic contemporaries. Although he was a late comer to poetry success, not publishing his first works until his late thirties, Markham became one of the most popular and widely read literary figures of the twentieth century, ...
Christopher Smart was an 18th century English poet who wrote for various popular magazines using a number of pseudonyms such as "Kit Smart", "Kitty Smart", and "Jack Smart", and he also adopted the persona of midwife "Mrs. Mary Midnight". He was best known though for his high spiritual ideals, bordering on religious fanaticism at times. The fact that he was confined to ...
Amy Clampitt was born in Iowa in 1920 and grew up, in her twilight years, to become one of the most respected American poets of her era. Brought up in a Quaker farming community, she originally went to Grinnell College before getting the qualifications to head for Columbia University. Although she always wanted to be a writer, it wasn’t until the ...
Born in the Tang Dynasty in 772, Bai Juyi was an official of the government and also one of the most famous poets of the age who is still widely read today mainly because of his highly readable style. Bai Juyi lived through an age of political upheaval with no less than 8 emperors coming to the throne during his life ...
Born in 1866 in London, Beatrix Potter is perhaps best known for books such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit, tales written for children that are still highly popular today. She was also a talented artist and deeply interested in conservation and the natural world. Potter was brought up in a wealthy but cossetted environment with her brother and spent most ...
