author
William Watson
1858–1935
A once-celebrated Victorian poet, he wrote with musical grace and a sharp political edge. His poems move easily between elegy, public protest, and reflections on literary greats such as Wordsworth and Tennyson.
1 Audiobook
The Poems of William Watson
by William Watson
About the author
Born in Burley-in-Wharfedale, Yorkshire, on August 2, 1858, William Watson grew up largely in Liverpool and became known as an English poet of lyrical and political verse. His early book The Prince's Quest appeared in 1880, but wider recognition came with Wordsworth's Grave in 1890 and Lachrymae Musarum in 1892, an elegy for Tennyson.
Watson was admired in his day for polished, traditional verse and for occasional poems that responded directly to public events. He also contributed to The Yellow Book, and his reputation was shaped not only by his literary gifts but by the boldness of his political writing.
Though changing tastes later pushed his work out of the spotlight, he was a major literary presence in the 1890s and remains an interesting figure for listeners who enjoy late-Victorian poetry. He died on August 11, 1935, in Ditchling, Sussex.