Dora Sigerson Shorter
Dora Sigerson Shorter (1866-1918) was an Irish poet recognized for her contributions to the literary scene in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in Dublin to a family immersed in literature and history, Shorter began writing poetry in her twenties and gained attention for her semi-ballad forms, drawing comparisons to notable writers like Sir Walter Scott. She was part of a vibrant community of Catholic women writers who explored Irish themes in their work, alongside contemporaries such as Alice Furlong and Katherine Tynan. Shorter's personal life saw her marry English critic Clement King Shorter in 1896, after which she moved to London and expanded her artistic pursuits to include gardening and sculpture. Throughout her career, she published over ten volumes of poetry, with notable works such as "The Fairy Changeling" and "A Legend of Glendalough." Her engagement with Irish culture deepened following the Easter Rebellion of 1916, reflecting her commitment to her heritage. Shorter’s literary legacy continues to be of interest to those studying Irish poetry and women's contributions to the arts during her time. She passed away shortly after the Rebellion, marking the end of a significant chapter in her artistic journey.
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Subject Terms
Dora Sigerson Shorter
Poet
- Born: August 16, 1866
- Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
- Died: January 6 or 16, 1918
Biography
Dora Mary Sigerson Shorter was born on August 16, 1866, in Dublin, Ireland, the eldest daughter of Dr. George Sigerson, a surgeon and historian, and Hester (Varian) Sigerson, a novelist and poet. Shorter began writing poetry in her early twenties, and she was first published in 1888 in the Irish Monthly. Her most important work appeared in semi-ballad form, such as “The Wind on the Hills” and “The Banshee”; her friend and fellow writer, George Meredith, called her “the best ballad writer since Scott.”
Shorter was part of a circle of women writers, such as her friends Alice Furlong and Katherine Tynan, who were devoutly Catholic and who focused on Irish themes in their poetry (Shorter was also close friends with the American poet Louise Imogen Guiney). After Shorter’s photograph appeared with a publication of hers in Sketch magazine, its editor, Clement King Shorter, an English critic and biographer, arranged to meet her. They were married on July 4, 1896, and subsequently lived in London. Early in her life, Shorter had been attracted to drawing; now in her new home, she took up gardening and also sculpture, for which she showed an untrained but genuine talent.
Although some of Shorter’s collections are titled rather generically, such as her first poetry volume, Verses (1893), and her third, Ballads and Poems (1899), others indicate their Irish background, such as The Fairy Changeling, and Other Poems (1898) and the posthumously published A Legend of Glendalough, and Other Ballads (1919). Her collected poems came out in 1907, but Shorter published over ten volumes of poetry after that collection appeared.
Her dedication to involvement in Irish society was rekindled by the Easter Rebellion of 1916. However, she died soon thereafter, on January 6 or 16, 1918.