Edward Dyer facts for kids

Sir Edward Dyer (born October 1543 – died May 1607) was an English courtier and poet. He lived during the time of Queen Elizabeth I and was known for his writing and his service to the Queen.

Life of Sir Edward Dyer

Edward Dyer was born in 1543 in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. His father was Sir Thomas Dyer. Edward went to Balliol College, Oxford or Broadgates Hall for his education. After finishing his studies, he traveled abroad for a while.

When he returned, he joined the court of Queen Elizabeth I. He became a friend of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, who was an important person at court. Edward Dyer was also good friends with the famous poet Sir Philip Sidney. Sidney even left some of his books to Dyer in his will. In 1570, Dyer was made the manager of Woodstock, a royal estate.

Queen Elizabeth sent Edward Dyer on important missions. In 1584, he went to the Low Countries (which are now Belgium and the Netherlands). In 1589, he was sent to Denmark. He also helped investigate royal lands that might have been taken unfairly. In 1588, he received some land in Somerset as a reward. He was chosen to be a Member of Parliament for Somerset in 1589 and again in 1593.

In 1596, he was made a knight, which meant he was called "Sir Edward Dyer." He also became the Chancellor of the Order of the Garter. This was a very important position in a special group of knights. Some people said he didn't like to "fawn" or flatter others, and his poems sometimes showed he found court life difficult. When King James I became king, Sir Edward lost his role at Woodstock around 1604.

Sir Edward Dyer died in 1607. He was buried in St Saviour's Church in Southwark, London, on May 11, 1607.

Sir Edward Dyer's Works

Many people at the time thought Edward Dyer was interested in alchemy, which was an old practice of trying to turn metals into gold. He was also known as a very good poet by people who lived at the same time as him. However, not many of his poems have survived today.

A writer named George Puttenham said that Edward Dyer's poems were "most sweet, solemn, and of high conceit." One of the most famous poems often thought to be his is "My Mynde to me a kingdome is." This poem talks about how a person's inner thoughts and feelings can be like their own kingdom. However, some experts now think that another poet, Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, might have written it.

Some other poems were included in a collection called England's Helicon in 1600 and were thought to be by Dyer. One of these is a lovely poem called "My Phillis hath the morninge sunne." But it was later found to be written by Thomas Lodge. Sir Edward Dyer also wrote a prose piece called The Prayse of Nothing in 1585.

In Media

In the first episode of the British TV series Help, an actress named Cathy Tyson recites Sir Edward Dyer's poem "My Mind to Me a Kingdom Is."