Charles Heavysege
Charles Heavysege was a Canadian poet and journalist born on May 2, 1816, in Huddersfield, England. Growing up in a religious environment that forbade involvement in theater, he received limited formal education and initially worked as a wood-carver and cabinetmaker. In 1853, he emigrated to Montreal, Canada, where he continued to pursue carpentry while contributing to the Montreal Daily Witness. Heavysege gained recognition for his poetry, publishing his first poem "The Revolt of Tartarus" and subsequently a collection of fifty sonnets. His notable works include the dramatic pieces "Saul: A Drama in Three Parts" and "Count Filippo: Or, The Unequal Marriage," as well as "Jephthah's Daughter," which is often regarded as his most famous poem. He was particularly influential during the 1860s and 1870s when Canadian literature was still emerging. His writing reflected the styles of Shakespeare, John Milton, and the Romantic poets. Charles Heavysege passed away in Montreal on July 14, 1876, leaving behind a legacy as one of the early voices in Canadian literature.
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Charles Heavysege
Poet
- Born: May 2, 1816
- Birthplace: Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England
- Died: July 14, 1876
- Place of death: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Biography
Canadian poet and journalist Charles Heavysege was born on May 2, 1816, in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England. His childhood has been described as religious, in which all aspects of theater were forbidden to him. Heavysege received a limited education and worked as a wood-carver and cabinetmaker. He eventually established his own business in Liverpool. In 1853, he migrated to Montreal, Canada, where he continued his carpentry work and wrote for the Montreal Daily Witness, a newspaper. Heavysege soon began to make a name for himself as a poet. He followed his first published poem, “The Revolt of Tartarus,” with a collection of fifty sonnets, published anonymously.
He went on to publish Saul: A Drama in Three Parts, one of his major works, Count Filippo: Or, The Unequal Marriage—A Drama in Five Acts, and Jephthah’s Daughter, arguably his most famous poem. Many of his shorter poems such as “The Dark Huntsman,” a poem about death, and “Jezebel,” the infamous queen, are now unavailable.
During the 1860’s and 1870’s, Heavysege was a highly celebrated writer as Canada had very little national literature. His writing was influenced by Shakespreare, John Milton and the Romantic poets, whose works were popular during the nineteenth century. Heavysege died in Montreal on July 14, 1876.