William Parsons (poet) facts for kids
William Parsons was an English poet who lived a long time ago. He was part of a group of writers called the Della Cruscans. They liked to write poems and share them with each other.
Who Was William Parsons?
William Parsons was a poet from England. He was part of a group of writers known as the Della Cruscans. This group published their poems in a newspaper called The World around 1784 and 1785.
At that time, William Parsons lived in a beautiful city in Italy called Florence. He was friends with another writer named Hester Piozzi.
Later, another writer named William Gifford wrote a funny, critical poem called The Baviad. This poem made fun of the Della Cruscans. William Parsons was upset because he was not mentioned in it! This led to some disagreements between them.
Parsons mostly lived in a city in England called Bath, Somerset.
In 1787, William Parsons became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This means he was recognized as an important person in science or learning. We don't know many other details about his life.
What Did William Parsons Write?
William Parsons wrote many poems. He contributed a lot to a book called Florence Miscellany in 1785. He wrote this book with his friends Hester Piozzi, Robert Merry, and Bertie Greatheed.
He also wrote a book called A Poetical Tour in the years 1784, 1785, and 1786. This book included his own poems, some translations, and poems praising his friends.
Here are some other books he published:
- An Ode to a Boy at Eton, published in London in 1796. He wrote this poem to offer a different view from a famous poem called Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard.
- Fidelity; or, Love at First Sight: a Tale, with other Poems, published in London in 1798.
- Travelling Recreations, a two-volume set published in London in 1807.
