Richard Glover (poet) facts for kids

Richard Glover (born in 1712, died on November 25, 1785) was an English poet and politician. He was known for his epic poem Leonidas and for serving in the British Parliament.

Richard Glover's Early Life

Richard Glover was born in London. His father, also named Richard Glover, was a merchant who traded with Hamburg. Richard went to school at Cheam in Surrey. His mother's brother was Richard West, who held an important legal position as the Lord Chancellor of Ireland. Young Richard was said to be a favorite of his uncle.

Glover's Public Service and Politics

In 1739, Richard Glover helped start the Foundling Hospital. This was a special charity that aimed to help children who had been abandoned. He became one of its first leaders.

Glover's famous poem, Leonidas, became very popular. This success helped him get involved in politics. In 1761, he became a member of Parliament. He represented the area of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis. This meant he helped make laws for the country.

Richard Glover's Writings

Richard Glover started writing at a young age. When he was just sixteen, he wrote a poem about Sir Isaac Newton, a famous scientist. This poem was included in a book about Newton's ideas published in 1728.

The Epic Poem Leonidas

In 1737, Glover published his most famous work, an epic poem called Leonidas. An epic poem is a long story poem about heroic deeds. Leonidas tells the exciting story of the Battle of Thermopylae. This battle happened in 480 BC, where a small group of Greek soldiers bravely fought against a much larger Persian army. Glover used old stories from historians like Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus to write his poem.

Leonidas was a huge success! The Prince of Wales and his royal court praised it. Many famous writers of the time, such as Alexander Pope, Henry Fielding, and Jonathan Swift, also admired it. The poem was so popular that it was translated into German, French, and Danish. It was even turned into plays for the stage. Writers across Europe, including Gotthold Ephraim Lessing and Friedrich Schiller, spoke highly of the poem.

Other Notable Works

In 1739, Glover wrote another poem called London, or the Progress of Commerce. This poem was about trade and business in London. The next year, in 1740, he published a popular song-like poem called Admiral Hosier's Ghost. This ballad seemed to be about a naval officer, but it was actually a hidden criticism of Sir Robert Walpole, who was a very powerful politician at the time.

Glover also wrote two plays for the theater: Boadicea (in 1753) and Medea (in 1761). These plays were written in a style similar to ancient Greek plays. After he passed away, another long epic poem he wrote, The Athenaid, was published in 1787. His personal diary, called Memoirs of a distinguished literary and political Character from 1742 to 1757, was published in 1813.

In 1774, after the death of another famous poet named Oliver Goldsmith, Glover wrote some "Authentic Anecdotes" about Goldsmith. These were published in The Universal Magazine. This piece was later used by others to write biographies about Oliver Goldsmith.