F. S. Flint
Frank Stuart Flint, born on December 19, 1885, in Islington, England, was a notable British poet and literary critic recognized for his significant contributions to the modern imagist movement. Raised in poverty, Flint left school at thirteen to support his family and later worked as a typist in the civil service. His dedication to education led him to learn ten languages and become an informed expert on contemporary French poetry. Flint's literary journey began in 1908 with articles published in the journal *New Age*, followed by his first poetry collection, *In the Net of the Stars*, in 1909, which hinted at his experimental style.
He was instrumental in rallying interest in French poetry and served as a key proponent of imagism, advocating for concrete imagery and free verse in his works. His involvement in this movement included editing a special issue of *Poetry Review* and contributing to anthologies alongside prominent poets like Ezra Pound. Flint's later works, including the poetry collections *Cadences* (1915) and *Otherworld: Cadences* (1920), reflected modern themes and the impact of World War I. After serving in the British army during the war, he continued his career in the Ministry of Labor, retiring in 1951. Flint passed away in 1960, leaving behind a legacy as a self-educated literary figure who shaped modern poetry and criticism.
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F. S. Flint
Poet
- Born: December 19, 1885
- Birthplace: Islington, London, England
- Died: February 28, 1960
- Place of death: Berkshire, England
Biography
Frank Stuart Flint was born December 19, 1885, in Islington, England. A child of poverty, Flint left school at the age of thirteen to economically support his family. In 1904, he began working for the civil service as a typist. Attending night school, he studied French and Latin and eventually gained proficiency in ten languages. In addition, he became a self-educated authority on contemporary French poetry.
Flint’s literary career began in 1908 with the publication of his reviews and articles in the journal New Age. His first collection of poetry, In the Net of the Stars (1909), consisted mainly of conventional love lyrics but showed a trace of experimentation in free verse. The same year the book was published, he met philosopher and poet T. E. Hulme, and they formed The Forgotten School of 1909, a literary group that met weekly and was sometimes visited by the poet Ezra Pound.
As a critic, Flint rallied the popularity of French poetry. In 1912, he edited a special issue of Poetry Review which included his essay “Contemporary French Poetry.” As a theorist, he served as spokesperson for the new imagist movement. In 1913, his article “Imagism” appeared in Poetry magazine. He extolled the concrete image, contemporary subjects and diction, and free verse. In 1914, five of his poems appeared in Des Imagistes, an anthology edited by Pound. In 1915, his article “History of Imagisim” was published in the journal Egoist.
His second collection of poetry, Cadences, published in 1915, explored modern urban settings in free verse. The subject of his final collection of poetry Otherworld: Cadences, published in 1920, was World War I.. During the war, Flint served in the British army as a statistician and translator. When the war ended, he went to work for the Ministry of Labor. When he retired in 1951, he was chief of the ministry’s overseas section, statistics division. Though he had stopped publishing poetry in 1920, he continued to publish reviews, articles, and translations. He also wrote a regular column for Criterion, a magazine published by poet T. S. Eliot. He died in 1960 in Berkshire, England.
Flint was a self-educated British authority on contemporary French poetry. More important, he was a leading voice in the modern imagist movement, promoting the values of this new movement in his theoretical works and practicing them in his own poetry.