Louisa Shore
Louisa Shore was an English poet and suffragist born on February 20, 1824, in Bedfordshire, England. The daughter of a schoolmaster, she grew up in a literary environment alongside her siblings, particularly influenced by her close relationships with her sisters, Emily and Arabella. After experiencing profound personal loss, including the death of her sister Emily and later her mother and brother, Louisa's poetry often reflected themes of grief and mourning. Her literary career began in earnest during the Crimean War, leading to the publication of her first poem, followed by collaborative works with Arabella that explored women's experiences of loss, such as their volumes "War Lyrics" and "Gemma of the Isles."
In the 1860s, after a period of questioning her readership, Louisa shifted her focus towards advocating for women's suffrage, contributing significant essays on women's rights. One of her most celebrated works is "Elegies," which poignantly reflects on her deceased relatives. Louisa Shore passed away in 1895, but her legacy continued, as Arabella published a collection of her work posthumously in 1897. Shore's contributions to literature and women's issues underscore her role as an important figure in both poetry and the early feminist movement.
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Louisa Shore
- Born: February 20, 1824
- Birthplace: Bedfordshire, England
- Died: 1895
Biography
Poet and suffragist Louisa Shore was born on February 20, 1824, to Thomas and Margaret Anne Twopeny Shore in Bedfordshire, England. Her father was a schoolmaster, tutoring many aristocratic young men. There were five children in the Shore family: Richard, the eldest, Emily, Arabella, Louisa, and Mackworth. The children were well educated at home and often took classes with their father’s students. The daughters demonstrated literary proclivities at an early age. Indeed, any consideration of the work of Louisa Shore is inextricably bound to some mention of both Emily and Arabella Shore.
In 1838, the family moved to Madeira where it was hoped the milder climate would restore Emily to health; she died, however, of tuberculosis. The family returned to England, save Richard, who went to India. The three younger children were exceptionally close, and Mackworth’s decision to immigrate to Australia in 1841 was a blow to Louisa, still suffering from the loss of her sister. This early grief surfaces in much of her later poetry.
During the years 1851-1853, Louisa traveled with her parents for an extended stay in Paris while Arabella stayed in England. During this trip, Louisa met a number of important literary figures: Fanny Kemble, Sara Coleridge, Robert Browning, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
The Crimean War provided Louisa with the subject of her first published poem. In 1854, Louisa composed a poem about the Light Brigade and sent it to Arabella who subsequently titled it “War Music” and submitted it to the Spectator. Both sisters continued to write poetry about the war and in January 1855, they published their first volume, War Lyrics: Dedicated to the Friends of the Dead. As in much of their later work, the sisters examined loss and grief, and particularly the ways such mourning affects women. In 1859, the sisters published another joint volume, Gemma of the Isles: Lyrical Drama, and Other Poems.
The deaths of Louisa’s mother and Mackworth in 1860 and the death of her father in 1863 led to further closeness between the sisters. In 1861, Louisa published a long verse drama Hannibal: A Drama in Two Parts, and the sisters published another jointly authored collection, Fra Dolcino, and Other Poems in 1870. The book did not sell well, leaving Louisa to question whether the pair had any readership. She did not publish any poetry for the next twenty years, turning her attention to the struggle for women’s suffrage instead. She wrote a number of important essays and became a spokeswoman for women’s rights.
In 1883, Louisa wrote Elegies, a long lyric poem devoted to reflections on Emily and Mackworth. The poem was highly prized by Robert Browning and generally considered to be Louisa’s best work. Elegies and Memorials, another joint effort, was published in 1890.
Louisa Shore died in 1895; Arabella published a posthumous collection of her work in 1897. Louisa’s achievements as a writer may be found in her notable lyrics and her social commentary on women’s issues. In addition, her close association with her sister offers contemporary critics a model of feminine cooperation and collaboration.