author
George H. (George Henry) Boker
1823–1890
A 19th-century American poet, playwright, and diplomat, he moved easily between the literary world and public life. Best known for dramatic works such as Francesca da Rimini, he also used his writing in support of the Union during the Civil War.
1 Audiobook
Representative Plays by American Dramatists: 1856-1911: Francesca da Rimini
by George H. (George Henry) Boker
About the author
Born in Philadelphia in 1823, he was educated at private schools and graduated from Princeton in 1842. Although he studied law, literature soon became his real calling, and he built a reputation as a poet and playwright at a time when American drama was still finding its voice.
His best-known plays include Calaynos, Leonor de Guzman, and Francesca da Rimini, a tragedy that became his most lasting stage success. Alongside his literary work, he was active in civic life and wrote patriotic verse during the Civil War, supporting the Union cause.
Later in life, he entered diplomacy, serving as United States minister to the Ottoman Empire and then to Russia. He died in 1890, remembered as a writer who brought ambition and polish to 19th-century American poetry and drama.