Thomas Warton

Charlotte Stevens (The Open University)
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Thomas Warton was born on 9th January 1728 into a family of writers. His father was Professor of Poetry at Oxford University (1718-28); his brother, Joseph, published poetry, but was better known as a critic and author of

An Essay on the Writings and Genius of Pope

(1756, 1782), and his sister, Jane, published essays and poems.

Warton was initially tutored by his father until, at the age of sixteen, he entered Trinity College, Oxford. It was at Oxford that Warton embarked on a poetic career that would span the next forty-five years. In 1745, the year after Warton matriculated, he produced Five Pastoral Eclogues, focusing on “the opposing interests of a peaceful and rural life, and the tumultuous scenes of war” (Preface):

Warton was initially tutored by his father until, at the age of…

2118 words

Citation: Stevens, Charlotte. "Thomas Warton". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 14 April 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4616, accessed 19 March 2024.]

4616 Thomas Warton 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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