Jean Ingelow
Jean Ingelow was an English poet and author born on March 17, 1820, in Boston, Lincolnshire. Growing up near the Witham River, she was influenced by her maritime surroundings and the songs of sailors, which later permeated her work. Ingelow began her writing journey in her youth, contributing poetry under the pen name Orris to her siblings' publication, The St. Stephen's Herald. After moving to London in 1850, she published her first significant work, a poetry collection titled *A Rhyming Chronicle of Incidents and Feelings*.
Her literary career flourished with the publication of *Poems* in 1863, which included her notable poem "Divided" and the ballad "High Tide on the Coast of Lincolnshire, 1571". This collection garnered praise and increased her recognition as a talented poet. Ingelow also made significant contributions to children's literature, most famously with *Mopsa the Fairy*. Her innovative storytelling and vivid depictions of nature resonated with readers, leading to widespread popularity in both the UK and the US, with her works selling over 200,000 copies. Ingelow's literary legacy continues to be acknowledged, particularly for her influence on subsequent authors in the realm of fantastical literature. She passed away on July 20, 1897, after suffering from chronic illness.
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Jean Ingelow
Poet
- Born: March 17, 1820
- Birthplace: Boston, Lincolnshire, England
- Died: July 20, 1897
- Place of death: London, England
Biography
Jean Ingelow was born on March 17, 1820, at Boston, Lincolnshire, England, the first child of banker William Ingelow and Jean Kilgour Ingelow. She grew up in a house by the Witham River adjacent to her paternal grandparents’ home, where she enjoyed watching boat traffic, including ships her wealthy grandfather owned, and hearing sailors’ songs. Her mother and tutors educated Ingelow and her ten younger siblings. At age fourteen, Ingelow’s family moved to Ipswich, Suffolk, England, for her father’s work. Ingelow’s siblings created The St. Stephen’s Herald, for which she wrote poetry using the pen name Orris.
While vacationing in Essex, Ingelow met writers Jan Taylor and Ann Taylor and their father, Isaac Taylor, the editor of Youth’s Magazine. At home, Reverend Edward Harston mentored the development of her writing skills. Because her parents suffered monetary problems, Ingelow hoped to help them by selling her work. In 1850, the year her family settled in London, she published anonymously A Rhyming Chronicle of Incidents and Feelings. Although most readers were uninterested in this work, Poet LaureateAlfred, Lord Tennyson complimented Ingelow’s poetry.
Encouraged by Isaac Taylor, Ingelow wrote short stories and poems for Youth’s Magazine which were later issued in two book-length collections, Studies for Stories and Stories Told to a Child. These stories appealed to both young and adult readers. Ingelow edited Youth’s Magazine during 1855.
In 1863, she published Poems, a collection that featured the widely acclaimed poem, “Divided,” and the ballad “High Tide on the Coast of Lincolnshire, 1571.” The book elevated her literary status and was reissued in four editions the first year it was published. Composers wrote music to accompany Ingelow’s poetry, and these songs were popular throughout the United Kingdom and the United States.
In 1864, Ingelow settled with her mother and two brothers in a house in London’s Kensington neighborhood and rented a nearby writing studio. By 1869, she had created her best-known story for young readers, the innovative Mopsa the Fairy. She incorporated aspects of her early life in multivolume novels for adults which she wrote in the early 1870’s and continued to publish her poetry in the 1870’s and 1880’s. In 1896, she began to suffer from a chronic illness, and she died at her home on July 20, 1897.
Reviewers in the United Kingdom and the United States recognized Ingelow’s talents and were particularly impressed with “Divided,” a poem about two lovers that contains vivid descriptions of a fen and a river. Critics praised her word selection, reverence for nature, and observations of everyday life. Scholars noted Ingelow’s pioneering contributions to children’s fantastical literature, commenting that her work had an impact on such peers in that genre as Christina Rossetti and Lewis Carroll. Publishers distributed multiple editions of her work to meet popular demand, including about thirty editions of Poems, initially published in 1863. Readers in the United States bought about 200,000 copies of Ingelow’s books.