17th and 18th Century English Writers
Alexander Pope (1688-1744)
Born in London on May 21, 1688, to Catholic parents, Alexander Pope’s early life was shaped by anti-Catholic sentiment. His family relocated outside London due to a statute restricting Catholic residency. Pope’s education began in clandestine Catholic schools and continued under Thomas Deane. After moving to Binfield, he became self-taught. Around age twelve, he developed a bone disease, possibly tuberculosis. Introduced to London’s literary circles by William Wycherley, Pope gained recognition with Pastorals (1709) and solidified his reputation with The Rape of the Lock. In 1717, he moved to Twickenham, where he hosted visitors, engaged in literary debates, and continued writing until his death on May 30, 1744.
Thomas Gray (1716-1771)
Born in London in 1716, Thomas Gray endured a difficult childhood with an abusive father. He attended Eton College (1725-1734) and then Cambridge University, leaving in 1738 without a degree. A planned law study in London transformed into a European tour with Horace Walpole. Their friendship ended in Italy (1741), and Gray returned to London shortly before his father’s death. A move to Stoke Poges with his mother marked a prolific period. In 1742, he wrote “Ode on the Spring” on the day his friend Richard West died. He followed with “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College,” “Hymn to Adversity,” and “Sonnet on the Death of Mr. Richard West.” It’s believed he also began the “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” (published 1751). Returning to Cambridge (1742), he earned a law degree. He remained at Cambridge, focusing on studies and writing, declining the poet laureateship in 1757. He spent two years (1759-1761) at the British Museum in London, deepening his scholarship. In 1768, he became Regius Professor of Modern History at Cambridge, a post held until his death in 1771.
Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)
Born in Lichfield, Staffordshire, Samuel Johnson briefly attended Pembroke College, Oxford, before financial hardship forced his departure. After teaching, he moved to London and wrote for The Gentleman’s Magazine. His monumental Dictionary of the English Language (1755) significantly impacted Modern English. It remained the definitive English dictionary until the Oxford English Dictionary 150 years later. Johnson’s later works included essays, a Shakespeare edition, and the novel Rasselas. His friendship with James Boswell led to their Scottish travels, documented in A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland. His final major work, Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets, offered biographies and critiques of 17th and 18th-century poets. After a series of illnesses, he died on December 13, 1784, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. Posthumously, his influence on literary criticism grew, solidifying his reputation as a major figure in English literature.