Poet and critic. Born near Goole, Yorkshire. Considered a great English critic, his best-known work is his first publication "Seven Types of Ambiguity" 1930. Married Hetta in 1941 and had two sons, but was probably bisexual and an alcoholic. Spent a lot of his married life away from the London home, in Sheffield where he was chair of English literature at the university. Died at home, Studio House, 1 Hampstead Hill Gardens. (Did you notice how we managed not to mention the beard?)
This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Sir William Empson
Commemorated ati
Sir William Empson
Unveiled by Sir Williams’ son, Jake Empson. At no 71 Empson lived in the the...
Other Subjects
Francis Turner Palgrave
Poet & critic. Born Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. Wrote hymns and compiled the "Golden Treasury of English Lyrics (1861)".Lived in Hampstead at one time (see our Samuel Sanders Teulon page). Died K...
1 memorial
Sir Henry Newbolt
Poet. Also: lawyer, novelist, playwright and magazine editor. Born Staffordshire. Famous for one poem: 'Vitai Lampada'. Written in 1897 this oh-so-British plea for war to be played in the same spir...
2 memorials
Matthew Arnold
Poet, writer and school inspector. Born at Laleham-on-Thames, Middlesex, son of Thomas Arnold. He won the Newdigate prize in 1843 with a poem on Cromwell. Appointed a lay inspector of schools in 1...
2 memorials
George Meredith
Novelist and poet. Born at 73 High Street, Portsmouth, Hampshire. As a writer of novels and poems, his income was uncertain and he supplemented it as a publisher's reader. In this capacity he befri...
2 memorials
Oliver Goldsmith
Author. Born Co. Longford, Ireland (though it could have been County Roscommon, and for his date of birth we have only his word). Arrived in London in 1760 and joined the literary group that inclu...
4 memorials
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