Edgell Rickword
Edgell Rickword was an English poet and editor born on October 22, 1898, in Colchester, Essex. He had a challenging early life, being the youngest of five siblings and winning a scholarship to a local grammar school. His experiences during World War I, particularly on the front lines in France, profoundly impacted his writing, inspiring him to delve into poetry influenced by Siegfried Sassoon. After returning to England with a battle wound that resulted in the loss of sight in one eye, Rickword pursued studies at Pembroke College, Oxford, but left to support his family after marrying and having two children.
Rickword's poetry career began in 1921 with the publication of his first collection, *Behind the Eyes*, which included themes of war and love. He further explored poetic forms and criticism in subsequent works, including a 1924 study of the poet Rimbaud and his later satirical poems in *Twittingpan and Some Others*. Active in the literary community, he edited various periodicals, including the Left Review, and engaged with political movements by joining the Communist Party. Despite not achieving widespread popularity during his lifetime, Rickword's work is recognized for its intelligence and musicality, distinguishing him from his contemporaries like W. H. Auden and T. S. Eliot. He passed away on March 15, 1982, in London, leaving behind a legacy acknowledged through several awards, including a 1966 Arts Council Prize and an honorary doctorate from Essex University in 1978.
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Edgell Rickword
Critic
- Born: October 22, 1898
- Birthplace: Colchester, Essex, England
- Died: March 15, 1982
- Place of death: London, England
Biography
Edgell Rickword was born October 22, 1898, in Colchester, Essex, England. His father, George Rickword, was a librarian. The last of five children, he won a scholarship to the local grammar school. From 1916 to1919, he served in the British Army. Much of his time in the military was spent in France during World War I on the front line. He taught himself the French language by reading French novels. During his time in the military, he acquired a collection of poetry by Siegfried Sasson that, with its theme of war and use of colloquial language, heavily influenced him.
With the loss of eyesight in one eye from a battle wound, Rickword returned home to England and attended Pembroke College, Oxford. After one year, he married, leaving his studies in order to support his growing family. He soon had two children. He worked as a freelance literary reviewer, publishing in the New Statesman and The Times Literary Supplement.
Rickword began his poetry career in 1921 with the publication of his first collection of poems, Behind the Eyes. The volume includes war poems, influenced by Sasson, and love poems. His next volume, published in 1924, was a critical study of Rimbaud. His second collection of poetry, Invocation to Angels and The Happy New Year, was published in 1928. The poems in his final collection, Twittingpan, and Some Others, published in 1931, were satirical.
Rickword also had a career as an editor. From 1925 to 1927, he edited Calendar of Modern Letters, a periodical that began as a monthly, became a quarterly, then went out of print. Joining the Communist Party in the early 1930’s, he served as associate editor, then editor of the Left Review from 1934 to 1938. Finally, he edited Our Time from 1944 to 1947. During his later years, he lost all of his eyesight. He died March 15, 1982, in London. Rickword’s awards include a 1966 Arts Council Prize and a 1978 honorary doctor of literature degree from Essex University. In addition, he earned the military cross for distinguished service.
Not a popular poet during his own lifetime, Edgell Rickword is recognized for the intelligence and musicality of his verse and for forging a different path from the more appreciated poetry of W. H. Auden and T. S. Eliot.