Lionel Johnson
Lionel Pigot Johnson (born March 15, 1867 in Broadstairs , † October 4, 1902 ) was an English poet and literary critic. He was born in Broadstairs, attended Winchester College and New College , Oxford , where he graduated in 1890. In 1891 he converted to the Roman Catholic faith. He lived a relatively lonely life in London and died of a heart attack after falling (allegedly from a bar stool).
During his lifetime he published his works The Art of Thomas Hardy (1894), Poems (1895) and Ireland and Other Poems (1897). He was also a member of the Rhymers' Club .
Johnson wrote many poems about homosexuality. In 1892, after his conversion to Catholicism and after a quarrel with his friend Oscar Wilde , Johnson created a sonnet called The Destroyer of a Soul , (probably referring to the soul of his cousin Lord Alfred Douglas , whom he said earlier June had introduced Wilde). The following year Johnson wrote what is considered by many to be his masterpiece, the poem The Dark Angel , in which he addresses his homosexuality.
Web links
- The Dark Angel at Wikisource
- Literature by and about Lionel Johnson in the WorldCat bibliographic database
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Johnson, Lionel |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Johnson, Lionel Pigot (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English poet and literary critic |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 15, 1867 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Broadstairs |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 4, 1902 |