Thomas Warton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thomas Warton
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| Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom | |
| In office 20 April 1785 – 21 May 1790 |
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| Monarch | George III |
| Preceded by | William Whitehead |
| Succeeded by | Henry James Pye |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 January 1728 Basingstoke, Hampshire, England |
| Died | 21 May 1790 (aged 62) Oxford, England |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Literary historian, critic, and poet |
Thomas Warton (born January 9, 1728 – died May 21, 1790) was an English writer. He was a literary historian, a critic, and a poet. In 1785, he became the Poet Laureate. This important job meant he was the official poet for the King or Queen of England.
Sometimes, people call him Thomas Warton the younger. This helps to tell him apart from his father, who was also named Thomas Warton. One of his most famous poems is The Pleasures of Melancholy.
His Life Story
Thomas Warton was born in a town called Basingstoke in Hampshire, England. His father, Thomas Warton, the Elder, was also a poet. Thomas had an older brother named Joseph Warton. From a young age, Thomas loved writing poetry. He started writing very early. When he was just nine years old, he translated a poem from a famous Roman poet named Martial. By the time he was seventeen, he had already written his well-known poem, The Pleasures of Melancholy.
His father taught him at home when he was young. At sixteen, he went to Winchester College. Later, he studied at Trinity College, Oxford. He finished his studies at Oxford in 1747 and then became a Fellow there. This meant he was a senior member of the college.
Thomas Warton was chosen as the Poet Laureate of Oxford University in 1747 and again in 1748. His job was to write a special poem for a chosen supporter of the university. He would then read this poem to them on a specific day.
In 1757, Warton became the Professor of Poetry at Oxford University. He held this important teaching job for ten years.
Later, in 1771, he was given a church job as the rector of Kiddington in Oxfordshire. He kept this job until he passed away.
In 1785, he received two big appointments. He became the Camden Professor of History at Oxford. And, as mentioned, he was also named the Poet Laureate. Thomas Warton was friends with another famous writer, Samuel Johnson. Warton's own poems were inspired by earlier English poets like Chaucer and Spenser.
His Contributions to Literature
Thomas Warton, along with his brother Joseph, made important discoveries about old English poems. For example, they were among the first to suggest that Sir Thopas, a poem by Geoffrey Chaucer, was actually a funny parody. A parody is a humorous imitation of another work.
Warton also helped to bring back interest in old ballads. Ballads are types of songs or poems that tell a story. He was a big fan of the poet Thomas Gray.
Even though he was a church rector, Warton didn't spend much time on his church duties. Oxford was always his true home. He was known as a friendly and smart professor. He enjoyed visiting taverns and being in crowds, as well as studying old books and romances. He never got married.
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See also
In Spanish: Thomas Warton para niños
