About
Robert Southey, born on 12 August 1774 in Bristol and died on 21 March 1843 in Keswick, was an English Romantic poet. A member of the 'Lake Poets' circle with Wordsworth and Coleridge, he was appointed Poet Laureate in 1813. He authored narrative poems such as Thalaba the Destroyer and The Curse of Kehama, as well as the classic biography Life of Nelson. His prose works also include a History of Brazil and The Doctor, which contains the first published version of 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears'. He wrote numerous political articles for the Quarterly Review and advocated social reform.
* 1774-08-12 — † 1843-03-21
Major works
- Joan of Arc (1795)epic poem
- Thalaba the Destroyer (1801)narrative poem
- Madoc (1805)epic poem
- The Curse of Kehama (1810)narrative poem
- Life of Nelson (1813)biography
Key milestones
- 1813Appointed Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, a post he held until his death.
- 1817Unauthorized publication of his early play Wat Tyler, causing political embarrassment.
- 1821Publication of A Vision of Judgement, denouncing Byron and the Satanic school, prompting a parody by Byron.
Themes
Romanticismmedievalismsocial reformhistorynature
Sources: britannica.com · poetryfoundation.org · archivesearch.lib.cam.ac.uk