Wilfrid Gibson
Wilfrid Wilson Gibson was an English poet born on October 2, 1878, in Hexham, England. His early education and literary influences included notable English poets like Algernon Charles Swinburne and Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Gibson's initial poetic works, published at the age of twenty-four, showcased a fanciful style; however, by 1907, he embraced a Georgian style characterized by modern realism. This approach emphasized everyday life and commonplace subjects, a shift that garnered both acclaim and criticism regarding the elevation of poetic expression. Despite being initially rejected for military service due to poor eyesight, Gibson served during World War I, and his experiences influenced his later works, which were more positively received by critics. His war-themed poetry is noted for its profound exploration of personal and collective experiences of conflict, showcasing his ability to convey the emotional realities faced by soldiers and families. Ultimately, Gibson's contributions to poetry solidified his reputation as a masterful writer within the Georgian movement.
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Wilfrid Gibson
Poet
- Born: October 2, 1878
- Birthplace: Battle Hill, Hexham, England
- Died: 1962
- Place of death: Surrey, England
Biography
Wilfrid Wilson Gibson was born on October 2, 1878, in Hexham, England, where he would spend his boyhood receiving a private education and being influenced by such impressive English poets as Algernon Charles Swinburne and Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Gibson’s earliest poetry, the first of which he had published collectively when he was only twenty-four, indicates such “fanciful” influence, but by 1907 his work adopted a style and approach whose undertones lay in modern realism, which he later (in 1912) defined as Georgian. Gibson’s adoption of the Georgian style ushered in a new form.
Generally devoted to the commonplace as subject for poetry, Georgian form and style became a popular trend, though Gibson would spend another twenty years perfecting its development. Along the way, he faced the expected criticism of dueling schools of artistic thought: despite his authentic desire to make poetry more available to ordinary people, some critics denounced his choice of the commonplace as a subject, calling it a failure to elevate expression, while others believed him innovative and faithful in description because of his portrayal of folk-related details.
Although he was earlier turned away from military service because of poor eyesight, the outbreak of World War I made Gibson a soldier in 1917. Injuries, though, sent him home two years later. Gibson depicted his war experiences according to the Georgian method, writing whole volumes of war-touched works that were better received by critics than much of his previous work had been. Scholars remarked on his abilities to write of the realities of war “with a burning solution on the spirit what the personal side of the war means to those in the trenches and at home,” and with sensibilities that were “not stunned to silence or babbling song, but awakened to understanding and sober speech.” In this writing, critics agreed, Wilfrid Gibson proved himself to be a master of his craft.