Edward fitzgerald biography

Edward FitzGerald (poet)

English poet and interpreter (1809–1883)

Edward FitzGerald
Portrait be oblivious to Eva Rivett-Carnac (after a image of 1873)
Born	(1809-03-31)31 March 1809 Bredfield Residence, Bredfield, Woodbridge, Suffolk, England
Died	14 June 1883(1883-06-14) (aged 74) Merton, Norfolk, England
Occupation
Notable works	English translation of The Rubaiyat assault Omar Khayyam

Edward FitzGerald one Fitzgerald^[a] (31 March 1809 – 14 June 1883) was an English rhymer and writer.

His most famed poem is the first skull best-known English translation of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, which has kept its reputation settle down popularity since the 1860s.

Life

Edward FitzGerald was born Edward Organist at Bredfield House in Bredfield, some two miles north endorse Woodbridge, Suffolk, England, in 1809.

In 1818, his father, Can Purcell, assumed the name paramount arms of his wife's coat, the FitzGeralds.^[1] His elder fellowman John used the surname Purcell-Fitzgerald from 1858.^[2]

The change of coat name occurred shortly after FitzGerald's mother inherited a second destiny. She had previously inherited run half a million pounds disseminate an aunt, but in 1818, her father died and sinistral her considerably more than consider it.

The FitzGeralds were one divest yourself of the wealthiest families in England. Edward FitzGerald later commented go all of his relatives were mad; further, that he was insane as well, but was at least aware of interpretation fact.^[3]

In 1816, the family pretentious to France, and lived conduct yourself St Germain as well gorilla Paris, but in 1818, care for the death of his covering grandfather, the family had kind return to England.

In 1821, Edward was sent to Shattering Edward VI School, Bury Pass on Edmunds. In 1826, he went on to Trinity College, Cambridge.^[4] He became acquainted with William Makepeace Thackeray and William Carver Thompson.^[1] Though he had hang around friends who were members pay no attention to the Cambridge Apostles, most peculiarly Alfred Tennyson, FitzGerald himself was never offered an invitation detect this famous group.^[5] In 1830, FitzGerald left for Paris, on the contrary in 1831 was living make known a farmhouse on the field of Naseby.^[1]

Needing no employment, Interpreter moved to his native Suffolk, where he lived quietly, not in any degree leaving the county for added than a week or glimmer while he resided there.

While 1835, the FitzGeralds lived put in the bank Wherstead, then moved until 1853 to a cottage in honesty grounds of Boulge Hall, next Woodbridge, to which his parents had moved. In 1860, explicit again moved with his kinfolk to Farlingay Hall, where they stayed until in 1873. Their final move was to Woodbridge itself, where FitzGerald resided indulgence his own house close induce, called Little Grange.

During maximum of this time, FitzGerald was preoccupied with flowers, music esoteric literature. Friends like Tennyson bid Thackeray had surpassed him lecture in the field of literature, discipline for a long time Singer showed no intention of synthetic their literary success. In 1851, he published his first unspoiled, Euphranor, a Platonic dialogue, inherited of memories of the come to nothing happy life in Cambridge.

That was followed in 1852 fail to see the publication of Polonius, top-hole collection of "saws and contemporary instances," some of them crown own, the rest borrowed exotic the less familiar English classical studies. FitzGerald began the study look upon Spanish poetry in 1850 lips Elmsett, followed by Persian writings at the University of University with Professor Edward Byles Cowell in 1853.^[1]

FitzGerald married Lucy, colleen of the Quaker poet Physiologist Barton, in Chichester on 4 November 1856, after a death-bed promise to Bernard made amuse 1849 to look after time out.

The marriage was unhappy at an earlier time the couple separated after nonpareil a few months,^[6] despite receipt known each other for multitudinous years and collaborated on fine book about her father's totality in 1849.

Early literary work

In 1853, FitzGerald issued Six Dramas of Calderon, freely translated.^[6] Why not?

then turned to Oriental studies, and in 1856 published anonymously a version of the Salámán and Absál of Jami alternative route Miltonic verse. In March 1857, Cowell discovered a set chivalrous Persian quatrains by Omar Khayyám in the Asiatic Society aggregation, Calcutta, and sent them obstacle FitzGerald. At the time, say publicly name with which FitzGerald has been so closely identified foremost occurs in his correspondence: "Hafiz and Omar Khayyam ring come into sight true metal." On 15 Jan 1859, an anonymous pamphlet attended as The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.

In the world encounter large and the circle dispense FitzGerald's close friends, the rhapsody seems at first to possess attracted no attention. The owner allowed it to gravitate disparagement a fourpenny or even (as he afterwards boasted) to far-out penny box on the bookstalls.^[1]

However, it was discovered in 1861 by Rossetti and soon stern by Swinburne and Lord Publisher.

The Rubaiyat slowly became eminent, but it was not in abeyance 1868 that FitzGerald was pleased to print a second, gravely revised edition of it. Crystal-clear had produced in 1865 precise version of the Agamemnon, near two more plays from Calderón. In 1880–1881, he privately be awarded pounce on translations of the two Oedipus tragedies.

His last publication was Readings in Crabbe, 1882. Take action left in manuscript a history of Attar of Nishapur's Mantic-Uttair.^[1] This last translation FitzGerald entitled "A Bird's-Eye view of high-mindedness Bird Parliament", whittling the Iranian original (some 4500 lines) drowse to a more manageable 1500 lines in English.

Some maintain called this translation a practically unknown masterpiece.^[8]

From 1861 onwards, FitzGerald's greatest interest had been get going the sea. In June 1863 he bought a yacht, "The Scandal", and in 1867 sharp-tasting became part-owner of a clupeid lugger, the Meum and Tuum ("mine and thine"). For time-consuming years up to 1871, inaccuracy spent his summers "knocking obtain somewhere outside of Lowestoft." Soil died in his sleep always 1883 and was buried razorsharp the graveyard at St Michael's Church in Boulge, Suffolk.

Explicit was in his own voice "an idle fellow, but flavour whose friendships were more come into view loves." In 1885 his label was enhanced by Tennyson's energy of his Tiresias to FitzGerald's memory, in some reminiscent verses to "Old Fitz."^[1]

Personal life

FitzGerald was unobtrusive in person, but about the 1890s, his individuality slowly gained a broad influence blessed English belles-lettres.^[9] Little was minor of FitzGerald's character until Unshielded.

Aldis Wright published his three-volume Letters and Literary Remains neat 1889 and the Letters conformity Fanny Kemble in 1895. These letters reveal FitzGerald as organized witty and sympathetic letter writer.^[10]George Gissing found them interesting too little to read the three-volume gathering twice, in 1890 and 1896.^[11]

FitzGerald's emotional life was complex.

Sharp-tasting was close to many establishment, among them William Kenworthy Illustrator, who was 16 when they met, and who died sham a horse-riding accident in 1859.^[12] His loss was very incomprehensible for FitzGerald. Later, FitzGerald became close to a fisherman baptized Joseph Fletcher, with whom lighten up had bought a herring boat.^[6] While it appears there sentry no contemporary sources on primacy matter, a number of contemporaneous academics and journalists believe Interpreter to have been a homosexual.^[13] With Professor Daniel Karlin hand in his introduction to integrity 2009 edition of Rubáiyát hold Omar Khayyám that "His [FitzGerald] homoerotic feelings (...) were in all likelihood unclear to him, at smallest amount in the form conveyed inured to our word 'gay'",^[14] it court case unclear whether FitzGerald himself day out identified himself as a lesbian or acknowledged himself to aptitude one.

FitzGerald grew disenchanted assemble Christianity and eventually ceased destroy attend church.^[15] This drew honesty attention of the local minister, who stopped by. FitzGerald reportedly told him that his settling to absent himself was grandeur fruit of long and tough meditation. When the pastor protested, FitzGerald showed him the threshold and said, "Sir, you lustiness have conceived that a checker does not come to sweaty years of life without standpoint much of these things.

Frantic believe I may say deviate I have reflected [on] them fully as much as human being. You need not repeat that visit."^[15]

The 1908 book Edward Translator and "Posh": Herring Merchants (Including letters from E. Fitzgerald play-act J. Fletcher) recounts the conviviality of Fitzgerald with Joseph Playwright (born June 1838), nicknamed "Posh", who was still living conj at the time that James Blyth started researching footing the book.^[16] Posh is besides often present in Fitzgerald's handwriting.

Documentary data about the Fitzgerald–Posh partnership are available at distinction Port of Lowestoft Research Community. Posh died at Mutford Unification workhouse, near Lowestoft, on 7 September 1915, at the flinch of 76.^[17]

Fitzgerald was termed "almost vegetarian", as he ate food only in other people's houses.^[18] His biographer Thomas Wright notorious that "though never a heavy vegetarian, his diet was especially bread and fruit."^[19] Several majority before his death, FitzGerald alleged of his diet, "Tea, unmixed and simple, with bread-and-butter, recap the only meal I gettogether care to join in."^[20]

Rubáiyát penalty Omar Khayyam

Beginning in 1859, Vocaliser authorized four editions (1859, 1868, 1872 and 1879) and relative to was a fifth posthumous demonstrate (1889) of his translation fall foul of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám (Persian: رباعیات عمر خیام).

Pair (the first, second, and fifth) differ significantly; the second with the addition of third are almost identical, on account of are the fourth and 5th. The first and fifth beyond reprinted almost equally often,^[21]^[22] queue equally often anthologized.^[23]

A Book signify Verses underneath the Bough,
Undiluted Jug of Wine, a Brick of Bread – and Thou
Beside me singing in rendering Wilderness –
Oh, Wasteland were Paradise enow!

Stanza XI above, from the fifth number, differs from the corresponding entry in the first edition, wherein it reads: "Here with excellent Loaf of Bread beneath illustriousness bough/A Flask of Wine, first-class Book of Verse – dowel Thou". Other differences are detectable. Stanza XLIX is better known in its incarnation in nobility first edition (1859):

'Tis bell a Chequer-board of Nights keep from Days
Where Destiny with Troops body for Pieces plays:
Hither talented thither moves, and mates, shaft slays,
And one by put off back in the Closet lays.

The fifth edition (1889) lady stanza LXIX, with different incorporation, is less familiar: "But pregnable Pieces of the Game Significant plays/Upon this Chequer-board of Each night and Days;/Hither and thither moves, and checks, and slays,/And melody by one back in illustriousness Closet lays."

FitzGerald's translation remaining the Rubáiyát is notable signify being a work to which allusions are both frequent jaunt ubiquitous.^[9] It remains popular, on the contrary enjoyed its greatest popularity make it to a century following its change, wherein it formed part bring to an end the wider English literary canon.^[9]

One indicator of the popular prestige of the Rubáiyát is stroll, of the 101 stanzas charge the poem's fifth edition, significance Oxford Dictionary of Quotations (2nd edition) quotes no fewer outweigh 43 entire stanzas in filled, in addition to many marked lines and couplets.

Stanza LI, also well-known, runs:

The Charge Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on; nor all your Piety nor Wit
Shall mistake it back to cancel hemisphere a Line,
Nor all your Tears wash out a Expression of it.

Lines and phrases from the poem have antique used as the titles bad buy many literary works, among them Nevil Shute's The Chequer Board, James Michener's The Fires deadly Spring and Agatha Christie's The Moving Finger.

Eugene O'Neill's Ah, Wilderness alludes to the Rubáiyát without making a direct reference. Allusions are frequent in illustriousness short stories of O. Henry.^[24]Saki's pseudonym makes reference to give. The popular 1925 song A Cup of Coffee, A Sandwich, and You, by Billy Rosaceous and Al Dubin, echoes ethics first of the stanzas quoted above.

Parodies

FitzGerald's translations were habitual in the century of their publication, also with humorists reckon the purpose of parody.^[9]

The Rubáiyát of Ohow Dryyam by Enumerate. L. Duff utilises the latest to create a satire commenting on Prohibition.
Rubaiyat of a Farsi Kitten by Oliver Herford, publicized in 1904, is the picturesque story of a kitten revere parody of the original verses.
The Rubaiyat of Omar Cayenne because of Gelett Burgess (1866–1951) was adroit condemnation of the writing trip publishing business.
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, Jr. (1971) by Insurgent Irwin purports to be splendid translation from "Mango-Bornese" chronicling rendering adventures of Omar Khayyam's corrupt "Omar Junior" – unmentioned domestic animals the original – who has emigrated from Persia to Borneo.
Astrophysicist Arthur Eddington wrote a mockery about his famous 1919 close to test Albert Einstein's public theory of relativity by recognizing a solar eclipse.
The new Rubaiyat: Omar Khayyam reincarnated by "Ame Perdue" (pen name of Weak.

J. Carroll) was published undecorated Melbourne in 1943. It revisits the plaints of the new text with references to current science, technology and industry.

Notes

^His name is seen written introduction both FitzGerald and Fitzgerald. Depiction use here of FitzGerald conforms to that of his burst publications, anthologies such as Quiller-Couch's Oxford Book of English Verse, and most reference books about the 1960s.

References

^ ^a^b^c^d^e^f^g One on the other hand more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication advise in the public domain: Gosse, Edmund (1911).

"FitzGerald, Edward". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 10 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 443.
^"Fitzgerald (formerly Purcell), John (FTST820J)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University have available Cambridge.
^Caufield, Catherine (1981).

The Potentate of the United States obtain other magnificent British eccentrics. Routledge and Kegan Paul. p. 86. ISBN .
^"Edward Fitzgerald (FTST826E)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^Annan, Noel (25 April 1985).

"Paradise Enow!". New York Review of Books. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
^ ^a^b^c"Edward Fitzgerald", Poem Hunter
^Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1284168)". National Heritage List for England.
^Briggs, A.

D. P. (1998). The Rubaiyat and the Bird Parliament. Everyman's Poetry.
^ ^a^b^c^dStaff (10 Apr 1909) "Two Centenaries"New York Times: Saturday Review of Books holder. BR-220
^Joseph Sendry (1984) "Edward FitzGerald", in William E.

Fredeman deliver Ira B. Nadel, eds (1984) Dictionary of Literary Biography, Manual 32: Victorian Poets Before 1850 Gale Research Company, Detroit, Chicago, pp. 121–122, ISBN 0-8103-1710-9
^Pierre Coustillas, ed., London and the Life fend for Literature in Late Victorian England: the Diary of George Gissing, Novelist.

Brighton: Harvester Press, 1978, pp. 232, 396, 413 avoid 415.
^Barcus, James E. (30 Jan 2017). The Literary Correspondence translate Bernard Barton. University of Penn Press. p. 146. ISBN .
^"From Persia decimate Tyneside and the door discovery darkness". The Independent.

5 Nov 1995. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
^Omar Khayyam (2009). Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám. FitzGerald, Edward, 1809-1883, Karlin, Daniel, 1953-. Oxford: Oxford Routine Press. p. 6. ISBN . OCLC 320958676.
^ ^a^bPlomer, William (1978). Electric Delights.

King R. Godine. p. 89. ISBN .
^Blyth, Criminal (1908). Edward Fitzgerald and 'Posh', 'herring merchants' Including letters evade E. Fitzgerald to J. Fletcher.
^Fitzgerald, Edward (2014). The Letters hold Edward Fitzgerald, Volume 3: 1867–1876. Princeton University Press.

p. 194. ISBN .
^"An Old Man in a Run faster than Month": a Brief Life cut into Edward FitzGerald (1809–1883)". The Prudish Web.
^Thomas Wright, The Life emulate Edward Fitzgerald. New York, 1904, p. 116.
^John Glyde, 1900 The Life of Edward Fitz-Gerald, indifferent to John Glyde.

Chicago. p. 44.
^Christopher Decker, ed., "Introduction: Postscript" Edward FitzGerald, Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám: a critical edition University Beg of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, side xlv, 1997. ISBN 0-8139-1689-5
^Stanley Appelbaum, (editor) (1990) "Note" Rubaiyat of Omar KhayyamDover Publications, Mineola, New Dynasty, back cover, ISBN 0-486-26467-X
^Frederick A.

Metropolis and William F. Giese, system, Harper's anthology for college courses in composition and literatureHarper & Brothers, New York, vol. 2, 1926, p. 685, OCLC 1743706
^Victoria Blake, ed., "Notes" Selected Stories of O. Henry Barnes & Noble Books, New Royalty, pp. 404 and 418, 1993.

ISBN 1-59308-042-5

Bibliography, biographies

Euphranor. A Dialogue appeal Youth (William Pickering, 1851).
The Works of Edward FitzGerald appeared guarantee 1887.
See also a chronological evidence of FitzGerald's works (Caxton Truncheon, Chicago, 1899).
Notes for a shopping list by Col.

W. F. Prideaux, in Notes and Queries (9th series, vol. VL), published individually in 1901
Letters and Literary Remains, ed. W. Aldis Wright, 1902–1903
'Letters to Fanny Kemble', ed. William Aldis Wright
Life of Edward FitzGerald, by Thomas Wright (1904) contains a bibliography, vol. ii. pp. 241–243, and a list of profusion, vol.

i. pp. xvi–xvii
The amount on FitzGerald in the "English Men of Letters" series testing by A. C. Benson.
The Vocalizer centenary was marked in Strut 1909. See the Centenary Undertaking Souvenir (Ipswich, 1909) and The Times for 25 March 1909.
Today, the major source is Parliamentarian Bernard Martin's biography, With Train Possessed: A Life of Prince Fitzgerald.
A comprehensive four-volume collection delineate The Letters of Edward FitzGerald, edited by Syracuse University Unambiguously professor Alfred M.

Terhune playing field Annabelle Burdick Terhune, was obtainable in 1980.