Thomas Warton
| Thomas Warton | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
9 January 1728 Basingstoke, Hampshire, England |
| Died | 21 May 1790 (aged 62) Oxford, England |
| Occupation | Literary historian, critic, and poet |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | English |
| Ethnicity | English |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Oxford |
| Notable works | "To the River Lodon" |
Thomas Warton (9 January 1728 – 21 May 1790) was an English literary historian, critic, and poet. From 1785 to 1790 he was the Poet Laureate of England. He is sometimes called Thomas Warton the younger to distinguish him from his father Thomas Warton the elder. His most famous poem remains The Pleasures of Melancholy, a representative work of the Graveyard poets.
Warton was born in Basingstoke, Hampshire, the son of poet Thomas Warton, the Elder, and younger brother of Joseph Warton. As a youngster, Warton demonstrated a strong predilection toward writing poetry, a skill he would continue to develop all of his life. In fact, Warton translated one of Martial's epigrams at nine, and wrote The Pleasures of Melancholy at seventeen.
His early education was given to him by his father. At sixteen years of age he enrolled at Winchester College, later moving to Trinity College, Oxford. He graduated from Oxford in 1747, where he subsequently became a Fellow. Warton was selected as Poet Laureate of Oxford in 1747 and again in 1748. His duty in this post was to write a poem about a selected patroness of the University, which would be read to her on a specially appointed day.
Warton was appointed Professor of Poetry at the university in 1757, a post that he held for ten years.
In 1771 he was appointed rector of Kiddington in Oxfordshire, a post he held until his death.
In 1785, he was appointed Camden Professor of History, as well as poet laureate. He was a friend and rival of Samuel Johnson, and his poetry was greatly influenced by earlier English poets such as Chaucer, Drayton, Fairfax, and Spenser.
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