Giles Fletcher, the Younger
Giles Fletcher, the Younger, born around 1585 in London, was an English poet and cleric, recognized as the son of the diplomat and writer Giles Fletcher the Elder. He pursued his education at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he became known for his sermons at the Church of St. Mary the Great, and he was appointed as a reader in Greek in 1616. In 1619, Fletcher was appointed vicar of Alderton in Suffolk, where he served until his death in 1623. His primary literary contribution is the poem "Christ's Victorie and Triumph in Heaven and Earth, Over and After Death," published in 1610, which is organized into four cantos exploring themes of Christ's victories in various realms. Fletcher's work reflects a strong influence from Edmund Spenser, and it is noted that John Milton was familiar with his poetry, borrowing elements for his own writings. Although devout in his approach, Fletcher’s poetry is recognized for its dramatic power, marking him as an important link between Spenser and Milton in the evolution of English literature.
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Giles Fletcher, the Younger
Poet
- Born: c. 1585
- Birthplace: London, England
- Died: 1623
- Place of death: Suffolk, England
Biography
Giles Fletcher, the Younger was born in London around 1585. He was the younger son of Giles Fletcher the Elder, English writer and diplomat. Giles Fletcher, the Elder published an account of his experiences as envoy to Russia in Of the Russe Common Wealth in 1591. The principal poetic work for which the elder Fletcher is known is the sonnet sequence Licia. Giles Fletcher, the Younger moved from Westminster School to Trinity College, Cambridge University, in the spring of the year 1603. He remained in Cambridge after his ordination, and he became known for his sermons at the Church of St. Mary the Great. He was made a reader in Greek in 1616. He left Cambridge in 1619 after having been appointed vicar of Alderton in Suffolk.
Both Giles Fletcher, the Younger and his elder brother Phineas, who had gone from Eton to King’s College, Cambridge University, before him, were steeped in the poetry of Edmund Spenser, and both perpetuated the Spenserian tradition. This tradition continued Spenser’s diffuseness, his use of allegory, his variants of stanza, and his use of music, and these elements are often noted in discussions of his influence on the brothers’ poetry. It is also noted that John Milton knew the work of the Fletchers as intimately as he or the Fletchers knew the work of Spenser.
The Fletcher brothers lived very similar lives and produced very similar work. Their father’s chief legacy to them was their good education. Both lived for years at Cambridge until Giles Fletcher became rector of Alderton. Phineas Fletcher, after being chaplain to Sir Henry Willoughby for five years, became rector of Hilgay in Norfolk in 1621. Phineas wrote more than his brother and displayed a light manner as well as the deeply serious manner that his brother generally adopted. Phineas Fletcher is chiefly remembered for The Apollyonists (1627) and The Purple Island (1633). Though he was the younger brother, Giles Fletcher was the first to be published.
Giles Fletcher’s principal work, Christ’s Victorie and Triumph in Heaven and Earth, Over and After Death, published in 1610, is made up of four cantos. In the first, the poet describes Christ’s victory in Heaven through the intercession of Mercy against the indictment of Man by Justice. In the second, he describes Christ’s victory on earth as he overcomes Satan. In the third, he describes Christ’s victory over death. In the fourth, he describes Christ’s triumph after death as manifested in the resurrection and the effects of the resurrection on all living things. The fourth canto ends with an affectionate eulogy of his brother Phineas as Thyrsilis. While it is thought by most that the author’s devoutness was often a hindrance to his ability to achieve his high goal—that of celebrating perfectly his perfect subject—it is also agreed that the poem contains many passages of great dramatic power. Fletcher is said to be a worthy link in the chain that connects his great master, Edmund Spenser, and his great successor, John Milton. Milton, scholars agree, borrowed liberally from Christ’s Victorie and Triumph in Heaven and Earth, Over and After Death in his Paradise Regained. Giles Fletcher, the Younger died in 1623 while serving as vicar of Alderton.