Arthur O'Shaughnessy
Arthur William Edgar O'Shaughnessy was a British poet born in London in 1844. He began his career in literature early on, taking a position as a transcriber in the British Museum's library at seventeen, despite facing limitations due to his lack of formal education. O'Shaughnessy is often associated with notable figures in the Pre-Raphaelite movement, including Dante Gabriel Rossetti. His first poetry collection, *An Epic of Women, and Other Poems*, was published in 1870, and he was known for his involvement in literary salons where he mingled with prominent writers and artists of the time. In 1873, he married Eleanor Marston, and the couple collaborated on a children's book titled *Toyland*. Following the tragic deaths of their two infant sons and Eleanor's passing in 1879, O'Shaughnessy continued to write but published little thereafter. His last volume, *Songs of a Worker*, was released posthumously in 1881. O'Shaughnessy is perhaps best remembered for the famous lines from his poem "Ode," which have resonated in various artistic adaptations, including music and film. His legacy remains intertwined with the themes of creativity and ambition depicted in his work.
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Subject Terms
Arthur O'Shaughnessy
Poet
- Born: March 14, 1844
- Birthplace: London, England
- Died: January 30, 1881
- Place of death: London, England
Biography
Arthur William Edgar O’Shaughnessy was born in London in 1844, less than a year after O’Shaughnessy’s mother, Louisa, married Oscar William O’Shaughnessy on May 11, 1843. A second son, Oscar Frederick, was born in 1846, and O’Shaughnessy’s father died two years later. Since O’Shaughnessy’s mother came from a well-educated family and the 1861 census lists her occupation as schoolmistress, it is likely that she supported her sons by teaching.
In June, 1861, at the age of seventeen, O’Shaughnessy received the post of transcriber in the library of the British Museum. At the time, it was rumored that O’Shaughnessy was the illegitimate son of writer Edward Bulwer-Lytton, and many people believed he was given the library job because of Bulwer- Lytton’s influence. More than a century later, however, it was revealed that Lytton’s mistress was O’Shaugnessy’s aunt, with whom he had four children.
O’Shaugnessy’s lack of education prevented him from advancing in the library’s department of printed books, so he applied for a post in the zoology department. On November 2, 1863, he was accepted for the position, but within a few months he was transferred to a clerical job in the geology department. O’Shaughnessy’s lack of scientific knowledge and his indifference to acquiring it would have led to his dismissal were it not for the intervention of Bulwer-Lytton.
O’Shaughnessy was far more interested in literature, and he published his first collection of poetry, An Epic of Women, and Other Poems, in 1870. The artists Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Ford Madox Brown were among O’Shaughnessy’s circle of friends, and he frequently attended the famous Sunday evening salons at the home of physician Westland Marston in Northumberland Terrace, Regent’s Park. At these salons, he met his future wife, Eleanor Marston, the daughter of author John Westland Marston and the sister of poet Philip Bourke Marston. The couple married in 1873. The two collaborated on a book of children’s stories titled Toyland, published in 1875.
O’Shaughnessy did not publish any more volumes of poetry after he got married. He and his wife had two sons, both of whom died in infancy. Eleanor died on February 8, 1879, evidently of cirrhosis of the liver, and O’Shaughnessy died two years later from the effects of a chill. His last volume of poetry, Songs of a Worker, was published posthumously in 1881 and contains translations of several lesser known French poets.
O’Shaughnessy’s poetry is frequently associated with Rossetti, Algernon Charles Swinburne, and the Pre- Raphaelites. He is best remembered for writing two memorable lines in his poem “Ode,” which was published in his collection Music and Moonlight: Poems and Songs. The lines read as follows: “We are the music makers/ And we are the dreamers of dreams.” “Ode” was set to music by composers Edward Elgar and Zoltán Kodály, and the opening lines of the poem were featured in the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.