author
Henry Kirke White
1785–1806
A gifted English poet and hymn-writer, he became a Romantic-era favorite after his early death at just 21. His life story—driven by hard study, ambition, and fragile health—helped give his poems their lasting poignancy.
1 Audiobook
The Poetical Works of Henry Kirk White : With a Memoir by Sir Harris Nicolas
by Henry Kirke White
About the author
Born in Nottingham on March 21, 1785, he was the son of a butcher and was first expected to enter a practical trade. Instead, he pushed himself through intense self-education, worked for a time in a lawyer’s office, and began publishing poetry while still very young.
His promise brought him to St John’s College, Cambridge, where he studied for the church. The effort seems to have come at a heavy cost: he died on October 19, 1806, aged only 21, and his early death became central to the way readers remembered him.
White was known for poetry and hymns marked by seriousness, feeling, and moral reflection. His reputation grew after his death when Robert Southey edited and published The Remains of Henry Kirke White, helping secure his place as one of the best-known young poets of his era.