Esther Lewis (poet) facts for kids

Esther Lewis (1716-1794) was an English poet. She wrote poems that appeared in popular newspapers like the Bath Journal and sometimes in the Gentleman's Magazine. She also used a special writing name, called a pen name, which was Sylvia. Later, after she got married, she was known as Esther Clark.

Her Life as a Poet

Esther Lewis was the daughter of Reverend John Lewis, a church leader from Holt, Wiltshire.

Meeting Her Mentor

When Esther was young, she became ill. Her doctor, Dr. Samuel Bowden, helped her get better. He was very impressed by how talented she was at writing. Dr. Bowden often published his own poems in the Bath Journal. He encouraged Esther to write and publish her poems there too. He even wrote a poem about her in 1749, praising her "most Ingenious Poems."

Life After Marriage

After her father passed away, Esther married Robert Clark in 1760. They moved to Tetbury, where she lived for the rest of her life.

Her Famous Works

One of Esther's most well-known poems is called Advice to a Young Lady Lately Married, which she wrote in 1752. Her poems were very popular and were printed many times over the years.

In 1789, her husband encouraged her to gather her poems into a book. This collection was published to help raise money for a good cause, and it was called Poems Moral and Entertaining. This book included a letter to a woman in London. People believe this woman was Sarah Fielding, who was the sister of the famous writer Henry Fielding. Esther had become friends with Sarah around 1758 in Bath.

Esther Lewis passed away in Tetbury in 1794 and was buried there.