Gavin Ewart
Gavin Ewart was a notable English poet born on February 4, 1916, in London. He had a distinguished educational background, having studied at Wellington College and later at Christ's College, Cambridge, where he completed his B.A. in 1937 and an M.A. in 1942. Ewart's literary career began at a young age, with his first poem published in 1933, but he experienced a long hiatus from poetry before re-emerging in the 1960s. His works often reflect influences from prominent writers such as T.S. Eliot and Ezra Pound, while he developed a unique voice characterized by humor, fantasy, and bold social commentary.
Throughout his career, Ewart produced around three dozen books of poetry, including the notable collections "Londoners" (1964) and "Pleasures of the Flesh" (1966), the latter of which faced controversy for its explicit themes. His poetry is recognized for its craftsmanship and wit, and he held various professional roles, including in advertising and as a freelance writer. Ewart's contributions to English literature are marked by his ability to blend traditional poetic forms with contemporary subject matter. He passed away on October 23, 1995, leaving behind a rich legacy in the world of poetry.
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Gavin Ewart
Poet
- Born: February 4, 1916
- Birthplace: London, England
- Died: October 23, 1995
- Place of death: London, England
Biography
Gavin Buchanan Ewart was born on February 4, 1916, in London, England. His father, George Arthur Ewart, was a surgeon, and his mother, Dorothy Turner Ewart, was the daughter of a surgeon. Gavin Ewart attended Wellington College from 1929 to 1933 and then studied at Christ’s College in Cambridge University from 1934 to 1937. He completed his B.A. in 1937. At Christ’s College, he studied under F. R. Leavis and I. A. Richards, both prominent critics of their time. Gavin was later awarded an M.A. from Cambridge University in 1942. From 1940 to 1946 Ewart served in the Royal Artillery and became a captain. He married Margo Bennett, a school secretary, on March 24, 1956, and they had two children, Jane Susan and Julian Robert.
Ewart’s poetic career began early and then fell dormant for twenty-five years. His first poem, “Phallus in Wonderland,” appeared in 1933 in New Verse, a literary magazine that published the works of W. H. Auden and his cohorts during the 1930’s. Ewart was barely seventeen years old when his first poem was printed, and he went on to produce his first book of verse, Poems and Songs, in 1939. The meter and diction of these early works show indebtedness to writers such as T. S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, Ronald Bottrall, and other poets who influenced Auden or followed similar trends. Ewart acknowledged such indebtedness directly in poems such as “Audenesque for an Initiation,” which appeared in this first volume of poetry.
Between the publication of his first volume of poetry in 1939 and his next collection in 1964, Ewart held a variety of posts. From 1946 to 1952, he worked as an assistant in the book review department of the British Council, and thereafter worked as a copywriter in various advertising agencies until 1971, when he was compelled by circumstances to make his living as a freelance writer. His second volume of light verse, Londoners, appeared in 1964 and demonstrated growing clarity of his own voice as a poet, although the form and tone echoes Sir John Betjeman’s work. Ewart’s third book of poetry, Pleasures of the Flesh, appeared in 1966 and set forth themes that he would continue to use for the rest of his prolific career. These poems are typically humorous, informal, imbued with fantasy, and prone to treat sexual or social themes in sometimes shocking ways. The bookshop chain W. H. Smith & Son banned this third volume for its sometimes explicit sexual references and jeering treatment of the world of commerce.
Including original volumes and sundry collections of his poetry, Ewart produced some three dozen different books of poetry and edited six volumes of verse published by such prominent entities as Batsford, Penguin, and Oxford University Press. His special gift was his ability to quote the form and style of earlier poets while filling his work with unique perceptions of daily life. His skill as a craftsman and daring as a humorist make him one of the most memorable English authors of verse in his time. He died in London on October 23, 1995.