John Cunningham (poet and dramatist) facts for kids
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John Cunningham (1729–1773) was a Dublin-born writer, poet, and actor. He spent much of his life in Newcastle upon Tyne, a city he became very famous for.
About His Life
John Cunningham was born in 1729 in Dublin, Ireland. His parents were from Scotland. They had won a lottery and became wealthy, but later lost all their money.
John went to Drogheda Grammar School in Drogheda. However, he had to leave school when his family's money disappeared. From a young age, he loved the stage and wanted to be an actor. But he wasn't very good at acting. His body, voice, and personality weren't right for it.
He started writing when he was just twelve years old. At 17, he wrote his first play, called "Love in a Mist." It was performed in Dublin. After that, he acted in many different places, like York, Newcastle, and Edinburgh. He didn't have much success as an actor.
Even while acting, he kept writing poetry. He first became known as a poet in Edinburgh. After that, he moved back to Newcastle. He had often stayed there while acting in northern England.
John lived in Newcastle for the rest of his life. He wrote poems and acted whenever he could find work nearby. He didn't earn much money, but he didn't need a lot. He was a kind and simple person with a talent for poetry. This helped him make many friends.
One of his best friends was Thomas Slack, who owned a bookstore and published the Newcastle Chronicle newspaper. Cunningham earned extra money by writing articles for the newspaper.
Mr. Slack helped the poet in many ways. Eventually, he even let Cunningham live in his home. Cunningham was very tired and unwell by then. But Mr. Slack took great care of him. Cunningham wrote to a friend about Mr. Slack:
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- “His kindness comes from his heart,
- 'It's his good nature that helps me;
- His friendship is more than I deserve,
- And often stops my sadness.”
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His Death
John Cunningham performed for the last time as an actor in Darlington on June 20, 1773. He then went back to Newcastle upon Tyne. He became sick and died on September 18, 1773. He was 44 years old. He passed away at his home in Union Street, Newcastle upon Tyne.
He was buried at St John's Churchyard. Mr. Slack, from the Newcastle Chronicle, placed a monument at his grave. This monument became old and broken, but people raised money to fix it in 1887. Later, in 1891, Joseph Cowen, who owned the Evening Chronicle newspaper, put a special memorial window in St John's Church to remember him.
His Writings
John Cunningham's poems are often calm and gentle. He wrote beautiful and simple descriptions of nature. His poems about country life are very sweet and graceful. However, he never wrote with strong emotion or great excitement.
Perhaps his most energetic poem is about "Newcastle Beer." Some people might think this is a strange topic for a poet. But in Cunningham's time, Newcastle beer was very important. Even the most important people in town enjoyed this local drink. Servants would often check which houses had the best beer. Then, their masters would visit the place with the best beer on tap.
Here are some of his works:
- The play – Love in a Mist
- A book of Poems – published in 1766
- Newcastle Beer – A poem that used old stories to talk about the wealthy people of the town.
- Holiday Gown
He also wrote an "Elegy on a Pile of Ruins." This poem made people think about how even powerful leaders and ordinary people end up in the same place after battles.
