Richard Burton

Born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1861, Richard Eugene Burton grew up in a notably literary environment and went on to study at Trinity College and Johns Hopkins University. He became known as an American poet, critic, editor, and educator whose work moved easily between scholarship and the wider reading public.

Burton wrote on both fiction and drama, and he built much of his reputation as a lecturer and teacher. Rollins College notes that he continued lecturing there until his death in 1940, and describes a long career that also included books of poetry, criticism, biography, and essays.

What makes him interesting today is the range of his work: he was not only an author, but also a lively interpreter of books and theater for general audiences. That mix of literary seriousness and accessibility helped make him a recognizable voice in American literary culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.