A. Mary F. Robinson
A. Mary F. Robinson was an influential English writer born on February 27, 1857, in Leamington, Warwickshire. Coming from an affluent family, she was immersed in a rich literary environment, engaging with prominent figures like Henry James and Oscar Wilde during her upbringing. Robinson's literary journey began early, with her first poetry collection, "A Handful of Honeysuckle," published in 1878, and she gained notable acclaim for her biography of Emily Brontë. An original vice president of the Brontë Society, she made significant contributions to literature in both English and French, showcasing her versatility as a writer. Throughout her life, Robinson experienced personal transformations, including significant relationships and two marriages, the first to a professor of Persian and later to a scientist who directed the Pasteur Institute. She continued to write prolifically until her death on February 9, 1944, in Aurillac, France. Her legacy is marked by a rich body of work, including poetry, essays, and biographies, reflecting her wide-ranging interests and talents.
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Subject Terms
A. Mary F. Robinson
- Born: February 27, 1857
- Birthplace: Leamington, Warwickshire, England
- Died: February 9, 1944
Biography
A. Mary F. Robinson was born into an affluent family on February 27, 1857, in Leamington, Warwickshire, England. Her father, George T. Robinson, was an architect, then a banker. Her mother was Francis Sparrow Robinson. Her family home in London was visited by celebrated literary figures such as Henry James, Oscar Wilde, Thomas Hardy, Robert Browning, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. As a youth, she educated herself in her father’s library. Later she attended schools in Brussels and Italy. She also enrolled at University College, London. Her younger sister, Mary Francis Robinson, was a popular novelist.
Robinson’s parents financed the publication of her first collection of poems, A Handful of Honeysuckle, in 1878. She dedicated her second volume, The Crowned Hippolytus, and Other Poems, with New Poems, published in 1881, to John Addington Symonds, the critic and historian with whom she corresponded. Her biography of Emily Brontë received critical acclaim, partially because it was the only one in print. Robinson became an original vice president of the Brontë Society, established in 1894. Her most acclaimed collection of poetry, An Italian Garden: A Book of Songs, was published in 1886.
Following an eight-year relationship with the lesbian poet Violet Paget, Robinson married James Darmester, a professor of Persian, in 1888. They lived in Paris. He died in 1894; and, in 1901, Robinson married Pierre Émile Duclaux, a scientist and director of the Pasteur Institute. Her second husband died in 1904. She continued publishing poetry, essays, and biographies in English and in French. She published under her given name and also her various married names. Her final volume, Portrait of Pascal, was published in 1927.
Her two stepsons from her second marriage encouraged her in 1939 to move to Aurillac, France, in an effort to escape the effects of World War II. She remained there until she died on February 9, 1944. A prolific and talented writer, A. Mary F. Robinson is recognized for her literary contribution to multiple genres in two languages. She was equally at home writing in English, her native language, and French.