William Shenstone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Shenstone
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Shenstone in 1760
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| Born | 18 November 1714 Leasowes, Halesowen, England |
| Died | 11 February 1763 (aged 48) |
| Resting place | St John the Baptist Church, Halesowen |
| Occupation | Poet, landscape gardener |
| Alma mater | Pembroke College, Oxford |
| Notable works | The Schoolmistress |
William Shenstone (born November 18, 1714 – died February 11, 1763) was an English poet. He was also one of the first people to practice "landscape gardening." He did this by designing and developing his own large estate called The Leasowes.
Contents
William Shenstone's Early Life and Education
William Shenstone was born on November 18, 1714, at The Leasowes, in a town called Halesowen. His parents were Thomas Shenstone and Anne Penn. At that time, Halesowen was in Shropshire, but it is now part of the West Midlands.
Shenstone went to Halesowen Grammar School, which is now known as The Earls High School. Later, he attended Solihull School. There, he became lifelong friends with Richard Jago.
In 1732, he went to Pembroke College, Oxford. At Oxford, he made another close friend, Richard Graves, who later wrote a book called The Spiritual Quixote.
Shenstone's Journey as a Writer
Even while he was still at Oxford, Shenstone started publishing his poems. In 1737, he released a collection called Poems on various occasions, written for the entertainment of the author. This book was mostly for his friends and family.
This collection included an early version of his famous poem, The Schoolmistress. This poem was inspired by Sarah Lloyd, who was his first teacher at the village school. In 1742, he published a new version of The Schoolmistress without putting his name on it.
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In 1741, he also published a poem called The Judgment of Hercules.
Creating The Leasowes Garden Estate
In 1745, William Shenstone inherited his family's estate, The Leasowes. He decided to move there and dedicate his life to making his property beautiful. He started big projects to design and improve the landscape of his garden.
His work at The Leasowes became very famous. People from all over came to see his unique "landscape gardening" style. However, these projects cost a lot of money and made him quite poor.
Shenstone was not always happy living alone at his estate. He really wanted people to admire his gardens. He also wished he was more famous as a poet.
William Shenstone never married and passed away on February 11, 1763.
How People Remembered Shenstone's Work
Many people admired William Shenstone's poems. His poems about nature often described its most artistic parts, but the feelings he wrote about were very real.
The famous writer Oliver Goldsmith admired Shenstone's poem The Schoolmistress. The Scottish poet Robert Burns also praised Shenstone's "Elegies." Burns said that Shenstone's poems "do honour to our language, our nation and our species."
One example of his skill in writing is how he used a special rhythm in his Pastoral Ballad in Four Parts. He wrote this poem in 1743.
Places and Things Named After William Shenstone
William Shenstone is remembered in several ways:
- One of the five student houses at Solihull School is named after him.
- One of the four student houses at The Earls High School (formerly Halesowen Grammar School) is also named after him.
- Solihull School's yearly magazine is called The Shenstonian.
- Louis-René Girardin built a special memorial for him in the French town of Ermenonville.
- A well-known public house (pub) in Halesowen is called "The William Shenstone." Inside, you can see pictures of The Leasowes from Shenstone's time.
- Two roads near his old home in Leasowes Park are named in his honor: Shenstone Valley Road and Shenstone Avenue.
- The landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted named Shenstone Road in Riverside, Illinois after him.
See also
In Spanish: William Shenstone para niños
