active 1702-1712 Edward Bysshe

Little is known for certain about Edward Bysshe's life. Sources describe him as an English miscellaneous writer active in the early eighteenth century, probably working in London and earning his living through literary work.

He is best remembered for The Art of English Poetry, first published in 1702. The book brought together rules for writing verse, a dictionary of rhymes, and a large collection of poetic passages arranged for easy use, making it both a reference book and a practical guide for aspiring poets.

Although later critics did not always treat the work as a great manual of poetic art, it was widely used and reprinted many times. That lasting popularity gives Bysshe an interesting place in literary history: not as a major poet himself, but as a writer who helped shape how others read, quoted, and composed poetry.