Place    From 1559 

Poets' Corner

Categories: Literature

The popular name for the south transept of Westminster Abbey. Geoffrey Chaucer was the first person to be interred here, although it was for his position as Clerk of Works to the Palace of Westminster, rather than for literary merit. It wasn't until the burial of Edmund Spenser that the tradition began. The name was supposed to have been coined by Oliver Goldsmith. Nowadays occupants are commemorated with a wall or floor tablet rather than actual interment.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Poets' Corner

Commemorated ati

Robert Browning - W8

Robert Browning lived in this house 1887 - 1889, from here his body was taken...

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Other Subjects

Jan Kaplan

Jan Kaplan

Author and filmmaker. Born in the former Czechoslovakia. Co-author of 'Prague in the Shadow of the Swastika', 'Prague; The Turbulent Century' and 'Prague 1900 - 2000'. He made the television series...

Person, Literature, TV & Radio, Czechoslovakia

1 memorial
Valentine Cameron Prinsep

Valentine Cameron Prinsep

Born Calcutta, India. Artist and writer. His father was a civil servant in India and the family moved to England on his retirement. A minor figure in the Pre-Raphaelites, although he exhibited regu...

Person, Art, Literature, India

1 memorial
George Orwell

George Orwell

George Orwell was born in Bengal as Eric Arthur Blair, his father was a British colonial civil servant. Joined the Indian imperial police in Burma but left in 1927 and decided to become a writer. ...

Person, Journalism / Publishing, Literature, Seriously Famous, TV & Radio, Bengal, Burma, France, India, Spain

12 memorials
Dr. John William Polidori

Dr. John William Polidori

This entry has kindly been written for us by Franklin Bishop, expert on Polidori, and editor of "John William Polidori ‘The Vampyre’ and other writings", 2005. Polidori wrote The Vampyre, a novell...

Person, Literature, Italy, Scotland, Switzerland

1 memorial
Sir Kingsley Amis

Sir Kingsley Amis

Novelist and poet. Born Kingsley William Amis in Norbury. His many novels include 'Lucky Jim', 'Take a Girl Like You' and 'The Old Devils'. He also wrote six volumes of poetry, and works of non-fic...

Person, Literature, Poetry

1 memorial