Wilfrid Gibson

James Bridges (Independent Scholar - Europe)
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Wilfrid Gibson was born in October 1878, the son of a Northumberland pharmacist. His early collections, for example –

The Queen's Vigil

(1902) and

The Golden Helm

(1903) – display an ornate medievalism, derived mainly from Pre-Raphaelitism. There was then a striking transition, in which Gibson found a voice that was very much his own. The poems in

Daily Bread

(1910) exhibit a strong degree of realism. Sympathetically portraying the struggles and miseries of ordinary working-class people, they engage with unemployment, poverty, illness, illegitimate birth, bereavement, and domestic violence.

Daily Bread

thus reflects the compassion that distinguishes Gibson's verse as a whole – especially with regard to workers and women. A collection written solely in dramatic format,

Daily Bread

is…

419 words

Citation: Bridges, James. "Wilfrid Gibson". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 20 November 2001 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4980, accessed 19 March 2024.]

4980 Wilfrid Gibson 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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