Alfred Austin
Alfred Austin was an English poet, critic, and political writer born on May 30, 1835, in Headingley, near Leeds. He came from a Catholic family and was educated at several notable institutions, including Stonyhurst and London University. After briefly practicing law, Austin turned his focus to writing and politics, emerging as a satirical poet with works such as "The Season." He gained further recognition with his critical volume, "The Poetry of the Period," which critiqued prominent poets of his time, including Robert Browning and Alfred, Lord Tennyson. In 1896, Austin succeeded Tennyson as poet laureate of England, although his appointment was met with mixed reactions regarding his poetic abilities. Despite criticism, he was celebrated for his sincere appreciation of nature, evident in works like "The Garden That I Love." Over his lifetime, he published fifteen volumes of poetry, contributing significantly to the literary landscape until his death on June 2, 1913.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Alfred Austin
Poet
- Born: May 30, 1835
- Birthplace: Headingley, England
- Died: June 2, 1913
- Place of death: Swinford Old Manor, England
Biography
Alfred Austin was born to Catholic parents at Headingley, near Leeds, England, on May 30, 1835. His father, Joseph Austin, was a merchant from Leeds, and his mother, Mary, was the sister of Joseph Locke, a member of Parliament. Austin was educated at Stonyhurst, Oscott, and London University and graduated from the university in 1853. He was called to the bar four years later, but his career as a barrister was short, as he turned from the practice of law to politics and writing.
After two comparatively false starts in writing poetry and fiction, he made his first noteworthy appearance as a writer with a satirical poem called “The Season.” With its incisive lines, “The Season” was thought to hold promise both in wit and observation. In 1870 he published a volume of criticism, The Poetry of the Period, which was, once more, conceived in a spirit of satirical invective, attacking the poets Robert Browning, Matthew Arnold, Charles Algernon Swinburne, and Alfred, Lord Tennyson with some vehemence. His political conservatism was evident in the decisions he made as editor of The National Review from 1883 to 1895. He also wrote for The Standard as he continued to write poetry. In 1903 one of his dramas was produced at His Majesty’s Theatre.
While it is true that Austin succeeded Alfred, Lord Tennyson as poet laureate of England, it is also true that his appointment was not immediate and that support for his appointment was not unanimous. Tennyson died in 1892; Austin was appointed poet laureate in 1896. There were many attacks upon Austin’s poetic talents and attitudes, although he was praised for his genuine and intimate love of nature, which is clearly demonstrated in both his poetry and prose. The work that is considered his best, The Garden That I Love, a miscellany in diary form, was published in 1894. In Veronica’s Garden (1895) also was praised for its pleasant feeling and images. It has been said that Austin could write simply of the English and Italian countryside, but he generally lacked the gift of transforming what he wrote and felt into true poetry.
Austin was a prolific, if not always an accomplished, poet. From 1861 to 1913, he published fifteen volumes of poetry. He died on June 2, 1913, at his home in in Swinford Old Manor, England.