George Augustus Simcox
George Augustus Simcox was an English poet and scholar born in 1841 in London to an upper-middle-class family. He pursued classical studies on a scholarship at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and later became a fellow at Queens College, Oxford. Simcox is particularly remembered for his poetry, with his notable work "The Soldan's Daughter," a narrative poem about the abduction of a sultan's daughter, showcasing elements reminiscent of Pre-Raphaelite influence through its medieval themes and archaic language. His poetic collection also includes works like "The Farewell of Ganore," which draws from Arthurian legend. Beyond poetry, Simcox made significant contributions to classical literature, including a translation of Shelley’s "Prometheus Unbound," a history of Latin literature, and a collaborative edition of Demosthenes’ orations with his brother, William. His sister, Edith Jemima, is recognized for her literary connections and feminist insights, particularly through her friendship with author George Eliot. Simcox's life came to an abrupt end in 1905 under mysterious circumstances near Belfast, where it is speculated that he may have fallen from cliffs.
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George Augustus Simcox
- Born: 1841
- Birthplace: London, England
- Died: 1905
- Place of death: Near Belfast, Northern Ireland
Biography
George Augustus Simcox was born into an upper-middle-class family in London, England, in 1841. His parents were George and Jemima Simcox. His two siblings, William and Edith Jemima, were significant figures throughout his life. Simcox attended Corpus Christi College of Oxford, beginning his classical studies there on a scholarship in 1858. Like his brother, George later became a fellow of Queens College, Oxford. He soon began to contribute essays to critical and literary journals, writing especially about the poets of the period.
Simcox first published his own poetry in Poems and Romances. This volume contains “The Soldan’s Daughter,” the poem for which he is usually remembered. This long narrative poem contains twenty-five stanzas about the abduction of a sultan’s daughter.
Some readers have seen a Pre-Raphaelite influence in Simcox’s work, as evidenced by his fondness for medieval subjects and archaic language. His poem “The Farewell of Ganore” also suggests such an influence. It is a long narrative in rhymed iambic pentameter on a subject from Arthurian legend—Ganore (an alternate name for Guinevere)’s parting from Lancelot forever after Arthur’s death. Another narrative in the same volume is “Gawain and the Lady of Avalon.” As some scholars have noted, Simcox sometimes fails to maintain an appropriate level of diction (Guinevere looks on Lancelot with “eyes that were not red”). However, the tone of “Ganore” often recalls that of Pre-Raphaelite William Morris’s “The Haystacks in the Floods.”
Simcox’s most significant contribution to literature lies in his classical studies, his translation of Prometheus Unbound, his history of Latin literature, and the edition he did with his brother, the Reverend William Henry Simcox, of the Orations of Demosthenes. Simcox’s sister, Edith Jemima, who kept the Simcox household, has also become a figure of literary interest because of her friendship with George Eliot, who encouraged her feminist commitments. She recalls in her autobiographical writings that her brothers were “imperfectly boyish” (by which she may be referring to their intellectual ambitions) and seems to envy their freedom and their educational opportunities. Simcox died mysteriously near Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1905. The author of his obituary in the London Times speculated that he may have fallen from the cliffs near Ballycastle.