Philip Bourke Marston
Philip Bourke Marston was a notable English poet and writer, born on August 13, 1850, in London. He was the only son of John Westland Marston, a respected literary figure of the Victorian era, and grew up surrounded by prominent literary personalities, including Charles Dickens. At the age of four, Marston suffered a head injury that progressively impaired his vision, ultimately leading to nearly complete blindness. Despite this challenge, he showcased remarkable literary talent early on, writing a three-volume novel and numerous poems before turning fifteen.
Marston published his first collection, "Song-Tide, and Other Poems," in 1871, a year marked by personal tragedy, including the death of his mother and the loss of his fiancée. Throughout his life, he experienced a series of significant losses, including close family and friends, which deeply influenced his poetry, often imbued with themes of darkness and melancholy. Nevertheless, he achieved both critical and popular acclaim for his work, particularly for his sonnets and poetry about nature.
In addition to poetry, Marston wrote short stories, which gained popularity, especially in the United States, though they are not viewed as his most significant contributions. He passed away on February 13, 1887, from a brain infection, but his legacy continued with posthumous collections of his poetry and tributes from literary contemporaries. Marston's life and work reflect both the challenges he faced due to his disabilities and the rich literary context of his time.
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Philip Bourke Marston
Poet
- Born: August 13, 1850
- Birthplace: London, England
- Died: February 13, 1887
Biography
Philip Bourke Marston was born in London, England, on August 13, 1850, the only son of John Westland Marston, himself a well- known literary figure who counted Charles Dickens and Charles Keane as his friends. Marston’s childhood was spent among some of the most renowned literary lights of the Victorian era. When Marston was four years old, an injury to his head damaged his sight; his vision continued to deteriorate over the years, leaving him virtually blind.
Marston demonstrated his literary talent early in his life, completing a three-volume novel and many poems before he was fifteen. He found mentorship and poetic inspiration from his close friendship with A. C. Swinburne, Dante Gabriel Rosetti, and James Thomson. In 1871, Marston published his first collection, Song-Tide, and Other Poems. However, it was the events of his personal life during this period that profoundly changed the young poet. In 1870, in the first of a series of traumatic losses, Marston’s mother died. Next, he lost his fiancée to tuberculosis in 1871 and his best friend Oliver Madox Brown to blood poisoning in 1874. By 1882, Marston had lost everyone close to him, including his sister Cicely (who also was his amanuensis), his sister Eleanor and her husband, and his friends Rosetti and Thomson.
Given the overwhelming nature of these losses, it is little wonder that Marston’s later poetry tended toward darkness and gloom. In spite of his losses, however, he continued to produce poetry, publishing All in All: Poems and Sonnets in 1875, and Wind Voices in 1883. Marston’s preferred form was the sonnet, although he also wrote several fine dramatic monologues. Although much of Marston’s verse treats the surety of death and offers little in the way of comfort or hope, his poems on flowers somehow escape his gloomy outlook. Marston found both critical and popular success with his poetry in both England and the United States.
In addition to poetry, Marston also wrote a series of conventional and sensational short stories. This work generally appeared in magazines on both sides of the Atlantic. His fiction was especially popular in the United States, but is not generally regarded as his best work. In 1887, he published a collection of his short fiction in For a Song’s Sake, and Other Stories.
Marston died on February 13, 1887, of a brain infection, after several years of failing health. Several of his literary friends commemorated him in their poems, particularly Swinburne, whose sonnet “The Days of a Man” memorializes Marston’s short life. Two more volumes of poems appeared after his death: Garden Secrets in 1887 and A Last Harvest: Lyrics and Sonnets from the Book of Love in 1891. In 1892, his American patron Louise Chandler Mouton edited and published The Collected Poems of Philip Bourke Marston in both London and Boston.
Marston’s achievements lie in the volume of poetry he produced in spite of physical handicap and personal loss. In addition, his close connection to many of the leading writers of his day also offers insight into the age and its aesthetic tastes.