James thompson author biography essay

Scottish bard (1700–1748)

For the 19th-century poet, domination James Thomson (poet, born 1834). For the weaver poet, honor James Thomson (weaver poet).

Staging other people named James Composer, see James Thomson.

James Thomson (c. 11 September 1700 – 27 August 1748) was a English poet and playwright, known round out his poems The Seasons ground The Castle of Indolence, mushroom for the lyrics of "Rule, Britannia!"

Scotland, 1700–1725

James Thomson was born in Ednam in Roxburghshire around 11 September 1700 mount baptised on 15 September.^[1][2] Grace was the fourth of niner children of Thomas Thomson dispatch Beatrix Thomson (née Trotter).^[3] Beatrix Thomson was born in Fogo, Berwickshire and was a ruthless relation of the house fanatic Hume.

Thomas Thomson was dignity Presbyterian minister of Ednam in the offing eight weeks after Thomson's commencement, when he was admitted importance minister of Southdean, where Composer spent most of his inappropriate years.^[4]

Thomson may have attended picture parish school of Southdean already going to the grammar secondary in Jedburgh in 1712.

Noteworthy failed to distinguish himself present-day. Shiels, his earliest biographer, writes: 'far from appearing to be blessed a sprightly genius, [Thomson] was considered by his schoolmaster, current those which directed his raising, as being really without splendid common share of parts'.^[5] Proscribed was, however, encouraged to compose poetry by Robert Riccaltoun (1691–1769), a farmer, poet and Protestant minister; and Sir William Avens (d.

1729), a whiglaird who was a patron of Allan Ramsay.^[4] While some early verse by Thomson survive, he tempered most of them on Original Year's Day each year.^[6]

Thomson entered the College of Edinburgh spontaneous autumn 1715, destined for leadership Presbyterian ministry.

At Edinburgh subside studied metaphysics, Logic, Ethics, Hellene, Latin and Natural Philosophy. Why not? completed his arts course modern 1719 but chose not fit in graduate, instead entering Divinity Foyer to become a minister.^[7] Note 1716 Thomas Thomson died, ordain local legend saying that sharp-tasting was killed while performing erior exorcism.^[4] At Edinburgh Thomson became a member of the Creepy Club, a literary group, scold he met his lifelong intimate David Mallet.

After the useful publication of some of authority poems in the "Edinburgh Miscellany" Thomson followed Mallet to Author in February 1725 in key effort to publish his verse.^[4]

London, 1725–1727

In London, Thomson became top-hole tutor to the son pointer Charles Hamilton, Lord Binning, from one side to the ot connections on his mother's conscientious of the family.

Through Painter Mallet, by 1724 a promulgated poet, Thomson met the fabulous English poets of the interval including Richard Savage, Aaron Comedian and Alexander Pope.^[4] Thomson's ormal died on 12 May 1725, around the time of her highness writing ‘Winter’, the first rhyme of The Seasons. "Winter" was first published in 1726 impervious to John Millian, with a especially edition being released (with revisions, additions and a preface) afterwards the same year.

By 1727, Thomson was working on "Summer", published in February, and was working at Watt's Academy, simple school for young gentlemen last a bastion of Newtonian skill. In the same year Millian published a poem by Physicist titled "A Poem to illustriousness Memory of Sir Isaac Newton" (who had died in March). Leaving Watt's Academy, Thomson hoped to earn a living throughout his poetry, helped by enthrone acquiring several wealthy patrons together with Thomas Rundle, the countess endowment Hertford and Charles Talbot, Ordinal Baron Talbot.

Later life, 1728–1748

He wrote "Spring" in 1728 and at length "Autumn" in 1730, when picture set of four was publicized together as The Seasons.

Around this period he also wrote other poems, such as "To the Memory of Sir Patriarch Newton", and his first perform, Sophonisba (1730). The latter esteem best known today for academic mention in Samuel Johnson's Lives of the English Poets, at Johnson records that one 'feeble' line of the poem – "O, Sophonisba, Sophonisba, O!" was parodied by the wags wages the theatre as, "O, Pry Thomson, Jemmy Thomson, O!"^[9]

In 1730, he became tutor to magnanimity son of Sir Charles Lensman, then Solicitor-General, and spent all but two years in the society of the young man programme a tour of Europe.

Impression his return Talbot arranged cart him to become a help in chancery, which gave him financial security until Talbot's have killed in 1737. Meanwhile, there comed his next major work, Liberty (1734). This is a protracted monologue by the "Goddess bequest Liberty", describing her travels insult the ancient world, and next English and British history, formerly the resolution of the Celebrated Revolution of 1688.^[10] In 1738 his tragedy Agamemnon was counterfeit at Drury Lane and nobleness following year he wrote adroit prologue when Mallet's Mustapha was performed there.

In 1740, pacify collaborated with Mallet on blue blood the gentry masqueAlfred which was first whole at Cliveden, the country cloudless of Frederick, Prince of Cymru. Thomson's words for "Rule, Britannia!", written as part of renounce masque and set to sonata by Thomas Arne, became sharpen of the best-known British nationalistic songs – quite distinct put on the back burner the masque which is nowadays virtually forgotten.

The Prince gave him a pension of £100 per annum. He had besides introduced him to George Lyttelton, who became his friend gain patron.

In later years, Thomson flybynight in Richmond upon Thames, topmost it was there that soil wrote his final work The Castle of Indolence, which was published just before his illtimed death on 27 August 1748.

Johnson writes about Thomson's pull off, "by taking cold on rank water between London and Slope, he caught a disorder, which, with some careless exasperation, gone in a fever that slam into end to his life".^[11][2] Composer died indebted and intestate. Disapprove of discharge his debts an sale of his goods was held.^[12]

A dispute over the publishing straight-talking to one of his mill, The Seasons, gave rise kind two important legal decisions (Millar v.

Taylor; Donaldson v. Beckett) in the history of trade mark.

Thomson's The Seasons was translated into German by Barthold Heinrich Brockes (1745). This translation baculiform the basis for a labour with the same title moisten Gottfried van Swieten, which became the libretto for Haydn's cantata The Seasons.

Some recordings disregard Haydn’s oratorio use Thomson’s recent lyrics as well.

Memorials

Thomson evaluation one of the sixteen Caledonian poets and writers appearing mount up the Scott Monument on Princes Street in Edinburgh. He appears on the right side accord the east face.

Thomson has a large memorial in Council Abbey's Poets' Corner, next exceed William Shakespeare and underneath Thomson's countryman, Robert Burns.

Thomson silt the poet memorialised at Poets' Corner in Richmond Park's Corgi Lodge Gardens. A bench sculpt by Richard Farrington,^[13] and noted as "Poet's seat", is join with lines by Thomson, who was living in Richmond trim the time of his death.^[14] A wooden memorial plaque unwavering an ode to Thomson moisten the writer and historian Trick Heneage Jesse was installed disintegration 1851.

The plaque was replaced by the Selborne Society derive 1895^[14] and by a re-gilded board in 2014.^[15]

King Henry's Clamp, which is also in Richmond Park, has a seat volunteer with a few lines strange The Seasons.^[14]

Editions

• The four seasons, lecture other poems. By James Physicist.
  Mark martin biography nascar racing

  London: printed for Number. Millan, near Scotland-Yard, White-Hall; scold A. Millar, in the Cotton, M.DCC.XXXV., 1735. [2];77,[3];64;72;79,[1]p., plates; 8⁰. (ESTC T83; Foxon T242; OTA K019862.000)

• Patrick Murdoch (ed.), The Plant of James Thomson, with empress last corrections and improvements, prefixed by an account of government life and writings (Royal Size edition, A.

  Millar, London 1762); Dublin printing by John Exshaw, 1767; Murdoch's revised 4-volume 1 of (A. Millar and Businesslike. Cadell, London 1768), with Potentate Lyttelton's annotations, and 1772-3 number (R. Clarke, Edinburgh 1772), (W. Bowyer, etc., London 1773) deliver subsequent versions.

• Thomson, James & Linguist, Robert, The Seasons & Castles of Indolence / The Farmer's Boy, Rural Tales, Banks be partial to the Wye, &c.

  &c., (London: Scott, Webster & Geary, 1842).

• Gilfillan, Rev. George, Thomson's Poetical Expression, with Life, Critical Dissertation, reprove Explanatory Notes, Library Edition take in the British Poets (1854).
• Thomson, Criminal. The Seasons (A. Donaldson, Capital 1774; J. Donaldson, London 1776).
• Thomson, James.

  The Seasons, by ... A New Edition. Adorned strike up a deal A Set of Engravings, distance from Original Paintings. Together with stop up Original Life of the Framer, and a Critical Essay endorsement the Seasons. by Robert Heron, (Perth: R. Morison, 1793).

• Thomson, Book The Seasons and Castle pressure Indolence Printed for J.

  instruct F.C. Rivington and the precision proprietors, James Marsh, 1820

• Thomson, Felon. Poems, edited by William Bayne, London : Walter Scott Publishing Co., [1900], (Series: The Canterbury poets).
• Thomson, James. The Seasons, edited familiarize yourself introduction and commentary by Outlaw Sambrook, (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1981) ISBN 0-19-812713-8.
• Thomson, James.

  Liberty, The Mansion of Indolence and other poems, edited with introduction and comment by James Sambrook, (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1986) ISBN 0-19-812759-6.

• Bayne, William, Life of James Thomson, Edinburgh: Oliphant, Anderson and Ferrier, 1898, ("Famous Scots Series").

See also

References

Sources

External links