Ernest Dowson

Jane Desmarais (Goldsmiths College, University of London)

Ed. by Chris Baldick, Goldsmiths College, University of London
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.08: English Writing and Culture of the early Twentieth Century , 1900-1945.
Vol. editors: Chris Baldick (Goldsmiths College, University of London), Peter Childs (Birmingham Newman University), Louise McDonald (Birmingham Newman University), Andrew Radford (University of Glasgow)

Dates

Born 2 Aug 1867
Died 23 Feb 1900
Activity 1887-1900

Places

Born in England
Active in England; France

Activities

Primary

Poet
Story-writer

Resources

Dowson's Works

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The most tragic personality of the “tragic generation” of the 1890s, Dowson was the quintessential English decadent poet, moving in the literary circles of Oscar Wilde, Aubrey Beardsley and Leonard Smithers, and contributing essays, poems and stories to the leading little magazines of the day, including the

Century Guild Hobby Horse

, the

Yellow Book

and the

Savoy

. He earned a bare living as a translator and completed two novels and a play,

The Pierrot of the Minute

(published in 1897 with illustrations by Beardsley). Along with Lionel Johnson, he became a celebrated

absintheur

and key member of the Rhymers’ Club, and gained a reputation for writing pessimistic lyrics that fixated on despair, ennui and the “Cult of the Child” (Dowson 1889). Rupert Brooke said of his poetry,…

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2277 words

Citation: Desmarais, Jane. "Ernest Dowson". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 13 May 2015 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1307, accessed 19 April 2024.]

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