Roden Noel
Roden Noel was a British poet born on August 27, 1834, into an aristocratic family; his father was Lord Barham, and his mother served as lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria. He graduated with a Master of Arts from Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1858 and traveled extensively throughout Europe and the Middle East. In 1863, he married Alice de Broë and they had three children. Noel published his first poetry collection, *Behind the Veil, and Other Poems*, in 1863, and later explored themes of social justice in his work, particularly after the tragic death of his youngest son in 1877. His poem collection *A Little Child's Monument* is considered his most significant work. Throughout his life, Noel’s poetry reflected his growing concern for social issues, including poverty and the suffering of children. He passed away on May 26, 1894, in Mainz, Germany, leaving behind a legacy of advocacy for social justice during the Victorian era, even as he is often overshadowed by his contemporaries in literary quality.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Roden Noel
Nonfiction Writer, Playwright and Poet
- Born: August 27, 1834
- Died: May 26, 1894
- Place of death: Mainz, Germany
Biography
Roden Noel was born into an aristocrat English family on August 27, 1834. His father, Charles Noel, was Lord Barham. His mother, Lady Frances Jocelyn Noel, the daughter of an earl, served as lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria. Noel received his M. A. from Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1858. He traveled widely. While still in college, he traveled throughout Europe with his parents and after his graduation, he visited the Middle East. In 1963, he married Alice de Broë, whom he had met while recovering from illness in her family’s home in Beirut. They had three children: Frances, Conrad, and Eric. Heavily influenced by nature, Noel loved the sea and belonged to the English Alpine Club.
In 1863, Noel’s first collection of poetry, Behind the Veil, and Other Poems, was published. During 1863 and 1864, he worked in a business in Beirut, without success. In 1867, he began serving as Queen Victoria’s groom of the privy chamber, but his developing interest in social justice forced him to resign this position in 1871. He addressed his social and political concerns in his third collection, The Red Flag, and Other Poems, published in 1872. These poems address poverty and the Franco-Prussian War.
In 1877, his youngest son, Eric, died at the age of five. After this tragedy, Noel became interested in alleviating the suffering of children and worked for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. He memorialized his son’s death in A Little Child’s Monument, a spiritual autobiography in verse, published in 1881; the collection is his best-known work. At this time, his poetry took a Christian turn, as demonstrated by A Modern Faust, and Other Poems, published in 1888, and Poor People’s Christmas, published in 1890.
Noel died on May 26, 1894, in Mainz, Germany, where he is buried. Three collections of his poetry were published posthumously. Noel is remembered more for his commitment to social justice in Victorian society than for the quality of his verse.