Laurence Binyon was born in Lancaster, England, on 10 August 1869, and died in Reading on 10 March 1943. During his lifetime he occupied an unusual and influential place in British cultural life: he was a poet, dramatist, translator, art historian, museum curator, critic, and lecturer. Yet public memory has narrowed him, often understandably, to the author of “For the Fallen,” the 1914 poem whose most famous stanza h…
“To sweep the mind clear of prejudice and preoccupation is an essential condition of apprehending beauty as it really is.”
Neighbourhood:
Dramatic Poets, Edwardian Poets, Georgian Poets
Emotional landscape: Wonder, Longing, Peace
In the pantheon of Irish literary figures, few names carry the weight of both political revolution and artistic brilliance quite like Lady Jane Wilde. Born Jane Francesca Elgee on December 27, 1821, in Wexford, Ireland, she would become one of the most influential voices of Irish nationalism, a celebrated poet writing under the pseudonym "Speranza," and the mother of one of literature's most iconic figures, Oscar Wil…
“The Irish peasant has a deep and abiding faith in the supernatural world.”
Neighbourhood:
Folk & Ballad Poets, Irish Poets, Political Poets, Women Poets
Emotional landscape: Longing, Despair, Sorrow
