Martha Peckard facts for kids
Martha Peckard (born Martha Ferrar; 1729 – 14 January 1805) was a British poet. She is most famous for her poems "Ode to Spring" (1758) and "Ode to Cynthia" (1758).
Her Life and Poems
Martha Ferrar was born in 1729. She was the oldest daughter of Edward Ferrar, a lawyer from Huntingdon. On 13 June 1755, she married Reverend Peter Peckard, who was a church leader.
In 1760, her husband became the rector (the main priest) of Fletton, a town in Huntingdonshire. Martha lived in the rectory (the house for the rector) there for the rest of her life.
Martha Peckard is best known for her two poems, "Ode to Spring" and "Ode to Cynthia," both written in 1758. An "ode" is a type of poem that expresses strong feelings, often about a specific person or thing. Many people at the time thought her poems were very good. For example, a writer named Thomas Edwards called "Ode to Spring" a "charming piece."
Martha also wrote a special poem for a tombstone in the Fletton churchyard with her husband. This type of poem, called an "epitaph," is written in memory of someone who has died.
It is also thought that Martha Peckard wrote the words for a memorial to Anna Maria Vassa. Anna Maria was the daughter of Olaudah Equiano, a famous writer and former slave who worked to end slavery. This memorial is at St Andrew's Church, Chesterton.
Martha Peckard passed away on 14 January 1805.
Her Main Works
- "Ode to Spring" (1758)
- "Ode to Cynthia" (1758)
