Alice Meynell

Alice Meynell was an English poet, essayist, and literary journalist whose first poetry collection, Preludes, appeared in 1875 under her maiden name, Thompson. Her writing was admired by major Victorian figures including Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and her poetry became known for its precise language, understated voice, and fresh way of seeing ordinary experience.

A convert to Roman Catholicism, Meynell edited and contributed to Catholic publications with her husband, Wilfrid Meynell, including the Weekly Register and Merry England. She also raised a large family—seven of her children survived childhood—and supported the women’s suffrage movement.

Her later books included Poems (1893), The Rhythm of Life (1893), Later Poems (1902), and The Second Person Singular (1921). Last Poems was published after her death in 1923, extending the legacy of a writer whose poetry joined spiritual reflection with sharp emotional and intellectual insight.