author
Francis Thompson
1859–1907
Remembered for the haunting poem The Hound of Heaven, he wrote with unusual intensity about faith, struggle, and grace. His life was difficult and often unstable, but that pressure helped shape some of the most distinctive religious poetry of the late Victorian period.
6 Audiobooks
Shelley: An Essay
by Francis Thompson
The Hound of Heaven
by Francis Thompson
New Poems
by Francis Thompson
Poems
by Francis Thompson
Sister Songs: An Offering to Two Sisters
by Francis Thompson
Selected Poems of Francis Thompson
by Francis Thompson
About the author
Born in Preston, England, in December 1859, Francis Thompson was raised in a Roman Catholic family and was first steered toward the priesthood and then medicine. Neither path suited him for long. He eventually left medical study behind and went to London determined to become a writer, where he fell into deep poverty and lived for a time in extreme hardship.
His fortunes changed when the publishers Wilfrid and Alice Meynell recognized his talent and helped bring his work into print. Thompson became best known for The Hound of Heaven, a poem that gave powerful expression to the idea of a soul pursued by divine love. His poetry often blends spiritual longing, rich imagery, and emotional intensity, which gave him a special place among readers drawn to religious and mystical verse.
Though his health remained fragile and his life was never easy, he published several important volumes, including Poems, Sister Songs, and New Poems. He died in London in 1907, but his work continued to be admired for its beauty, sincerity, and deeply felt vision of faith.