Clifford Bax
Clifford Bax was a prolific English author born into a wealthy family in late Victorian London. Rather than following a conventional academic path, he studied at the Slade School of Art and traveled extensively, which influenced his literary pursuits. His encounter with Irish poet W.B. Yeats at a young age significantly impacted his writing, while the works of Plato fueled his philosophical explorations, particularly in the realm of theosophy—a spiritual movement that deeply interested him. Bax's literary career began with the magazine "Orpheus," which he co-founded in 1906, and he later focused on verse dramas that highlighted historical figures rather than contemporary issues, finding greater success in this approach.
He was also instrumental in promoting theater history through the founding of the Phoenix Society, dedicated to reviving Elizabethan and Restoration drama. Throughout his career, Bax authored poetry, biographies—including one on Leonardo da Vinci—and autobiographical works, notably "Inland Far." His writing is characterized by a blend of personal reflection and spiritual inquiry, often conveyed through concise essays that offer insight into the cultural and spiritual landscape of his time.
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Clifford Bax
Nonfiction Writer and Playwright
- Born: July 13, 1886
- Birthplace: Knightsbridge, London, England
- Died: November 18, 1962
Biography
Born into affluence in late Victorian London, Clifford Bax might have evolved into a dilettante. Instead, he became a hardworking, prolific author of plays, poetry, essays, and biographies, many of which reflected his overriding interest in the brand of spiritualism known as theosophy. Instead of following the usual path to Cambridge, Bax studied at the Slade School of Art, then at Heatherly Art School. He continued his education with travels abroad, in 1905 even journeying around the world. Upon his return to London, he turned his back on the rather superficial socialism popular at the time, opting instead to immerse himself in literature and matters of the spirit.
At the age of sixteen, Bax met the Irish poet William Butler Yeats, and the experience inspired Bax’s writing. Discovering Plato’s work when he was twenty helped fuel Bax’s philosophical and spiritual quest. Bax was twice married: in 1910 to Gwendolyn Daphne Bishop, and after her death in 1926, to Vera May Young. Bax’s first literary venture of note was a magazine called Orpheus, which he launched in 1906 with the poet and theosophist George William Russell (Æ).
In 1916, Bax began writing in earnest, concentrating on verse dramas that proved more popular on paper than on the stage. Still swimming against the tide of his times, which favored realistic dramas focused on contemporary problems, Bax turned next to dramas based on the lives of historical figures, and these proved more to be more successful. Bax worked to promote interest in theater history by founding the Phoenix Society, which was dedicated to the revival of Elizabethan and Restoration drama. He also turned out collections of poetry, biographies of figures such as Leonardo da Vinci, and autobiographical works like the 1925 Inland Far, which laid out his philosophical underpinnings. However, Bax was at his best working as a miniaturist in the numerous small gems of essays he produced as a means of interweaving candid assessments of his time with his overriding interest in spiritual matters.