William Lisle Bowles

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William Lisle Bowles

William Lisle Bowles (born September 24, 1762 in King's Sutton ( Northamptonshire ), † April 7, 1850 in Salisbury ) was an English clergyman, poet and critic .

Life

William Lisle Bowles, son of a pastor in Northamptonshire, attended Winchester College from the age of 14 , of which Joseph Warton was director at the time . He then studied from 1781 at Trinity College in Oxford , where he won the price for a Latin poem on the Siege of Gibraltar in 1783 . After completing his studies at Oxford he embarked on an ecclesiastical career, in 1792 was pastor in Chicklade in Wiltshire , in 1797 rector of Dumbleton in Gloucestershire and in 1804 rector of Bremhill in Wiltshire. In the same year, at the instigation of Bishop John Douglas, he became prebendar of Salisbury Cathedral . He was promoted to chaplain to the Prince Regent in 1818 , was elected Canon of Salisbury in 1828 and died in that city on April 7, 1850 at the age of 87.

plant

As a poet, Bowles first appeared with Fourteen sonnets (1789), which were received with approval and, among others, inspired the young Samuel Taylor Coleridge . The elegiac and musical Werther tone of Bowles Sonnets exerted a great influence on all poets at the sea school. The spirit of discovery, or the conquest of the ocean (London 1804) is considered Bowles' most excellent poetry, but this work was mocked by Lord Byron . Bowles also wrote numerous other poetic works, including:

  • Verses to John Howard , 1789; 9th illustrated edition 1805
  • Elegiac Stanzas , 1796
  • Hope, an allegorical sketch , 1796
  • Coombe Ellen , 1798
  • Saint Michael's mount , 1798
  • Song of the battle of the Nile , 1799
  • The sorrows of Switzerland , 1801
  • The picture , 1803
  • The missionary of the Andes , 1813
  • The grave of the last Saxon , 1822
  • St John in Patmos, or the last Apostle , 1835

His last poetic work was the soft and simple Scenes and shadows of departed days (London 1837). George Gilfillan (Edinburgh 1855 etc.) organized a complete edition of his Poetical works .

In his edition of the works of Alexander Pope (10 vols., London 1806), Bowles attacked the reputation of this poet, which, albeit on a correct point of view of poetics, led him to violent feuds with Byron, Thomas Campbell and William Roscoe (1753–1831) and was prompted to write a pamphlet in 1825 ( Final appeal to the literary public relative to Pope ).

In prose, Bowles, who proved himself a staunch defender of the episcopal church, left many sermons (London 1826), a Life of Bishop Ken (2 vols, London 1830–31) and Annals and antiquities of Lacock Abbey (London 1835, with John Gough Nichols).

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Bowles, William Lisle
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English clergyman, poet and critic
DATE OF BIRTH September 24, 1762
PLACE OF BIRTH King's Sutton , Northamptonshire
DATE OF DEATH April 7, 1850
Place of death Salisbury