Giles Fletcher facts for kids
Giles Fletcher (who was also known as Giles Fletcher the Younger) was an English writer and church leader. He lived from about 1586 to 1623. He is best known for his long poem called Christ's Victory and Triumph, which he wrote in 1610.
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Life
Giles Fletcher came from a family of important people. His father, Giles Fletcher the Elder, was an ambassador for Queen Elizabeth I in Russia. His uncle, Richard Fletcher, was a bishop and served Queen Elizabeth I too. Giles also had a brother, Phineas Fletcher, who was also a poet. His cousin, John Fletcher, became a famous playwright.
Giles went to school at Westminster School and then studied at Trinity College, Cambridge. After he became a priest, he stayed in Cambridge. He taught Greek grammar starting in 1615 and Greek language starting in 1618. In 1619, he moved to Alderton in Suffolk. There, he became the rector, which is like the head priest of a church. A kind person named Anne Townshend supported his work around 1623.
His Main Poem
Giles Fletcher's most important work is a long poem. Its full name is Christ's Victorie and Triumph, in Heaven, in Earth, over and after Death. This poem has four main parts, called cantos.
The Four Parts
- The first part, Christ's Victory in Heaven, talks about a discussion in heaven. It is between justice and mercy, using facts from Jesus's life on Earth.
- The second part, Christ's Victory on Earth, tells a story about Jesus's temptation.
- The third part, Christ's Triumph over Death, describes the Passion, which means the suffering of Jesus.
- The fourth part, Christ's Triumph after Death, covers the Resurrection (when Jesus came back to life) and the Ascension (when he went to heaven). This part ends with a loving tribute to his brother Phineas.
Poetic Style
Giles Fletcher wrote his poem using a special eight-line stanza. This style was similar to the famous poet Spenser. The first five lines of each stanza followed a rhyme pattern of ABABB. The stanza then ended with three rhyming lines. The famous poet Milton used many ideas from Christ's Victory and Triumph in his own poem, Paradise Regained.
