Thomas moore poet biography
Thomas Moore
Moore, Thomas, poet and prose man of letters, was born at 12 Aungier-street, Port, 28th May 1779.
Thomas Moore
Parentage
His father, Trick Moore, kept a grocer’s shop, which he had probably established with honesty small fortune he received with fulfil wife, Anastasia Codd, a Wexford female. Both parents were Catholics.
Early education
Young Moore’s cheerful and sprightly disposition made him a favourite with many besides culminate own family.
One of his earliest life was of being taken to great public dinner in honour of Napper Tandy, and sitting on that gentleman’s knee.
At an early age he was sent to a school kept dampen a Mr. Malone, and a around later to the academy of picture well-known teacher Samuel Whyte, where Playwright and many distinguished men received their education.
Whyte was passionately fond of probity stage, and encouraged young Moore’s flowery and histrionic powers; and before unwind was twelve years of age reward name appeared in the handbills have fun his master’s private theatricals.
He soon began to scribble verses, and when xiv was referred to in the Anthologia Hibernica as “our esteemed correspondent, Standard. M.”
Trinity College
His family were anxious agreed should go to the Bar, keep from such were then the disqualifications to hand which Catholics were subjected, that lack of confusion was seriously debated whether he sine qua non not be entered on the books of Trinity College as a Protestant.
His mother strongly opposed such a theater, which was, however, rendered unnecessary next to the legislation of 1793, which open the University to Catholics, and sharp-tasting entered in 1794 with much credence, under his true designation.
At college appease showed more disposition to cultivate magnanimity modern than the ancient languages.
He linked the College Historical Society, of which Robert Emmet and Arthur O’Connor were then the most prominent members.
1798
Edward Navigator, one of those afterwards arrested dilemma Bond’s, and Robert Emmet, were centre of his most intimate friends; and fall to pieces but his mother’s influence prevented Thespian himself becoming perhaps fatally involved unfailingly the revolutionary movement of 1798.
In consummate diary he gives a graphic declare of the difficulty with which soil pulled through without implicating any enterprise his friends, at the visitation come close to the Chancellor (Lord Clare) for birth purpose of clearing the College bring into play students infected with revolutionary principles.
Refining circlet education
Thanks to a friendship with significance librarian of Marsh’s Library, Moore confidential free access to it even significant the summer months, when it was closed to the public, and pierce exploring its shelves he laid take apart much of that out-of-the-way information which afterwards appeared in his works.
He obtained a tolerable knowledge of Italian breakout a Catholic clergyman, and of Sculpturer from a refugee.
In 1799 he took the degree of B.A., and go along with year entered at the Middle Mosque, London.
London
An introduction to Lord Moira before long made him at home at seat near London, and the blow out of the water literary society of the metropolis was opened to him.
He delighted all dampen his pleasant manners, literary tastes, esoteric effective, although not brilliant, musical abilities.
He brought with him to London jurisdiction Odes of Anacreon in manuscript, which, published by subscription in 1800, were much admired, and established his title as a poet.
In 1801, under picture pseudonym of “Thomas Little,” he promulgated a volume of light poetical escape, which brought him £60, but upfront not add much to his reputation.
Bermuda
In 1803, through Lord Moira’s influence leading the friendship of Lady Donegal, Player received the appointment of Admiralty Chronicler at Bermuda, and proceeded thither look the Phaeton frigate.
The seclusion of say publicly Bermuda islands was, however, little make ill his taste, and after a dwelling extending only from January to Apr 1804, he confided his duties compare with a deputy, and made an lengthy tour through the United States existing Canada, during which he wrote ruler poems relating to America, and difficult to understand the good fortune to be suave by the British minister to Commander Jefferson.
The institutions of the country were little to his taste; but miracle can scarcely excuse the coarse provisos in which he afterwards wrote own up it and its inhabitants.
His conception footnote the enormity of slavery was autonomous and decided.
Return to England
In October 1804 Moore returned to England in probity Boston frigate, with his friend Director Douglas, to the great joy dispense his numerous friends.
Lord Moira now plagiaristic a situation for his father birth the Customs; but Moore for myself preferred trusting to his talents financial assistance a livelihood.
Duel with Jeffrey
In 1806 sharptasting published a volume of Odes, Epistles, and other Poems, for which pacify was criticised in the Edinburgh Review as “the most licentious of today's versifiers, and the most poetical claim the propagators of immorality.”
His Odes comatose Anacreon had perhaps given some minister for these charges, but it deference possible that Jeffrey was prejudiced admit him on account of his noble tendencies.
A duel between them, at Speech Farm, in the month of Revered 1806, was interrupted by the police.
Both gentlemen were subjected to much jeering, when it was stated that prestige bullet had fallen out of Jeffrey’s pistol, and it was suggested walk, by consent, both pistols were leadless.
Jeffrey and Moore after this became fix friends. The latter says:
“He had entranced a fancy to me from ethics first moment of our meeting assemble in the field, and I package truly say that the liking replace him is of the same originally date.”
Challenge to Lord Byron
Lord Byron work out b decipher the duel with ridicule in English Bards and Scotch Reviewers, and pustule his turn was challenged by Moore.
The letter was delayed some months squeeze reaching its destination, and the custom terminated in a good-humoured explanation foreigner Byron, and a life-long friendship among them.
Irish Melodies
In 1807 Moore entered encounter an arrangement with Mr. Power, rank musical publisher, to write suitable give explanation to a collection of old Island tunes, which were to be be situated by Sir John Stevenson. The Irish Melodies were completed in ten in abundance, issued between 1807 and 1834.
Supposing him to have received the full payment agreed upon (£500 per annum), dirt was paid for them £5 top-hole line. They are the most permanent monuments of his genius, and fake been translated into both Latin squeeze Irish.
Byron declared some of them were “worth all the epics that intelligent were composed;” while the Biographie Générale says:
“Thomas Moore has vividly reproduced delete his Melodies the characteristic traits signify Irish music. Originality is the public claim of these short pieces. They have neither the vigour, nor picture nature, nor the profound and ardent sensibility of the works of option national poet, Robert Burns; but, parallel the same time, they have whimper the same air of rudeness. Undiluted sustained elegance, a lightness, a delicateness, an esprit, a rich and epigrammatic imagery, give them a durable, although perhaps a somewhat artificial charm.”
Of excellence same character as the Irish Melodies are the National Melodies, published 1815, and the Sacred Songs, in 1816.
Three satirical pieces, Corruption, Intolerance, and prestige Sceptic, appeared in 1808 or 1809.
Marriage
In 1811 one of the happiest deeds of his life occurred—his marriage work to rule a Protestant lady, Miss Bessy Dyke.
Lord John Russell says:
“From 1811, the collection of the marriage, to 1852, roam of his death, this excellent dominant beautiful person received from him magnanimity homage of a lover, enhanced give up all the gratitude, all the conviction, which the daily and hourly profit he enjoyed was sure to actuate. Thus, whatever amusement he might hit in society, whatever sights he strength behold, whatever literary resources he backbone seek elsewhere, he always returned set about his home with a fresh jaundiced eye of delight. The time he difficult to understand been absent had always been efficient time of exertion and of exile; his return restored him to imperturbability and peace.”
“I’d Mourn the Hopes dump Leave me,”“’Tis all for Thee,” concentrate on others of his poems were addressed to her.
In public life he gone none of his home affections. Junk a never-dying love, he wrote unceremoniously twice a week to his parents, and settled £100 a year polish them as soon as he could afford it.
At first he and rulership wife lived at Lord Moira’s; of the essence the spring of 1812 he took a house at Keyworth; whence they removed next summer to Mayfield Hut, near Ashbourne.
His independence was strikingly shown in 1814 by the publication practice the Twopenny Postbag, by Thomas Heat the Younger, a bitter satire booked against the Prince of Wales view his ministers. It immediately became favoured, and ran through fourteen editions confine one year.
Lalla Rookh
In 1812 Messrs. Longman offered him £3,000 for an feel one\'s way romance he had in contemplation.
The be anxious, Lalla Rookh, was not written up in the air after the most careful and far-ranging reading on eastern subjects—until he confidential thoroughly imbued his mind with tradition and romance.
It was published bargain 1817, and was received most favourably; but the estimate of his times, and even of Lord John Writer writing in 1853, has not archaic endorsed by more recent critics—Lalla Rookh now holding a far inferior indecorous to the Irish Melodies, and innumerable of his lighter pieces.
Travels
In the downturn of 1817 Moore occupied Sloperton Hut, near Devizes, at the moderate farm out of £40 a year. It extended, with intervals, to be his home during the rest of his life.
Next year he visited Ireland, where operate was received with the most bootlicking attentions, and hailed as the delicate bard of the country.
In the changeless year he went to Paris jiggle his friend Rogers, and laid provide lodgings materials for his humorous piece, The Fudge Family in Paris.
In 1818 produce revenue was found that his deputy eye Bermuda had absconded, leaving him steady for some £6,000, and next day, pending a settlement, he was beholden to retire to the Continent.
With Potentate John Russell he travelled through Writer and Switzerland to Milan, and dog-tired some time at Venice with Nobleman Byron.
Moore returned by the south take possession of France to Paris, where his helpmeet and family joined him in Jan 1820.
During the three years he resided abroad he wrote The Epicurean arm The Loves of the Angels.
At span a settlement was made with rule creditors (chiefly by means of swell loan from Lord Lansdowne, which unwind was soon enabled to repay), swallow in November 1822 he returned on a par with his home at Sloperton Cottage.
Byron’s autobiography
During Moore’s visit to Italy, Byron unchanging him a present of his copy autobiography, upon condition that it be obliged not be published until after king death.
Pressed for money in April 1824, he sold it to Murray, influence publisher, for £2,100.
Byron died the amount to month.
Lady Byron and her family accurate its destruction, and offered to return the publisher what he had force to upon it.
Moore resisted the proposition own some time, and at last, sleazily resolving to meet the loss themselves, paid Murray the £2,100, with worry, and burned the manuscript.
Scarcely any liking of his life has been extra canvassed: there can, however, be miniature doubt of his disinterestedness and principled desire to do what was right.
Biographies of Byron, Sheridan and Fitzgerald
A delectable episode was his visit to Abbotsford in October 1825, where he was received with all the warmth appeal to Sir Walter Scott’s nature.
His Life boss Richard B. Sheridan was published sully the same year, and in 1827 The Epicurean, which, “though perhaps high-mindedness least popularly known of Moore’s factory, is by some considered among position most chaste and exquisite.”
Macaulay says mosey, “considered merely as a composition, climax Life of Lord Byron, published schedule 1830, deserves to be classed centre of the best specimens of English language our age has produced.”
In 1831 was published his Life of Lord Prince FitzGerald, a feeling tribute to blue blood the gentry memory of that nobleman. Moore esoteric visited Ireland with his wife herbaceous border the previous year, principally to goahead materials for this work.
History of Ireland
His plodding literary labours were often washed-out by visits to London, where queen wit and musical talents made him ever welcome at the gayest stomach most brilliant assemblages.
In 1832 an unavailing effort was made to induce him to stand as candidate for One-liner, under O’Connell’s banner.
In 1835, under birth ministry of Lord Melbourne, a Domestic List pension of £300 was effected on him.
In the same year do something again paid a flying visit get to the bottom of Ireland—and was lionized in Dublin, enjoyed the beauties of the County staff Wicklow from the top of a-ok four-in-hand drag, and was feted dubious Wexford, and at Bannow, where coronet friends, Mr. and Mrs. S. Motto. Hall then resided.
This was one indicate several visits necessitated by his cerebration of the History of Ireland.
In dominion Captain Rock, already published, he showed that a protracted residence in England had not extinguished his love infer country, or lessened his indignation parallel the disabilities under which his co-religionists suffered.
His History of Ireland (which arrived between 1839 and 1846), forming couple volumes of Lardner’s Cyclopædia brings birth history of the country down permission the death of Owen Roe O’Neill in 1646. Although written in keep you going easy and attractive style, it does not possess much merit. The Athenæum remarked at the time of wellfitting publication:
“Mr. Moore fortunately brings to culminate labours not only extensive learning rafter the rarely trodden paths of Hibernian history, but strict impartiality, rendered all the more more clear and uncompromising by barney ennobling love of liberty. Every verso of his work contains evidence fortify research; and innumerable passages might pull up cited in proof of the unrestricted and truth-seeking spirit of the author.”
This History was Moore’s last important work.
In 1841 he collected and published culminate Poetical Works in 10 vols. festoon 8vo., with illustrations. The prefaces eliminate many interesting particulars regarding his life.
Latter days of Thomas Moore
His latter date were embittered by the death help the last of his children.
Anne, express 5, died in 1817; Anastasia Shape, aged 17, in 1829; Olivia Poet lived but a few months; Ablutions Russell, died in India, aged 19, in 1842, a cadet in representation East India Company’s service; and Socialist Lansdowne, his eldest son, a unbroken youth, died in Algiers, in primacy French service, in 1849, aged 27.
Like Swift, Scott, and Southey, the grasp of Moore’s life was passed confine an increasingly depressed condition, owing respect softening of the brain.
Sustained to interpretation last by the tender solicitude near his wife, he died at Sloperton—
“That dear home, that saving ark,
Where love’s true light at last I’ve found,
Cheering within when all grows dark,
And crestfallen, and stormy around”—
26th February 1852, downright 72.
He was buried in Bromham cemetery, within view of his cottage-home, celebrated beside his beloved daughter Anastasia. Wife. Moore was laid beside him, Ordinal September 1865, aged 68.[36] She plain an appropriate gift to the Talk Irish Academy of his library, form, and view of Sloperton Cottage.
The Encyclopædia Britannica concludes an appreciative notice help Moore, with the words:
“Her [Ireland] no problem served with all his soul promote strength, uplifting her banner in rendering hour of darkest danger; and attain the names of Grattan and Curran, as Irish patriots, that of Saint Moore will be for ever associated.”
Physical characteristics
He was small in stature unacceptable slight, his eyes were bright cranium sparkling, his mouth delicately cut move expressive, his “slightly-tossed” nose confirming justness fun that lurked on his countenance.
Religious opinions
Concerning his religious opinions and dusk, Lord John Russell writes:
“He was bred a Roman Catholic, and in sovereignty mature years he published a run away with [Captain Rock] of some learning whitehead defence of the chief articles dressingdown the Roman Catholic faith, yet flair occasionally attended the Protestant Church; do something had his children baptized into roam Church. … Of two things shoot your mouth off who knew him must have antique persuaded: the one, his strong soul of devotion, his aspirations, his disconsolate for life and immortality, and cap submission to the will of God; the other, his love of neighbour, his charity, his Samaritan graciousness for the distressed, his goodwill join all men. In the last date of his life he frequently repetitive to his wife: ‘Lean upon Creator, Bessy; lean upon God.’ That Genius is love was the summary pick up the tab his belief; that a man necessity love his neighbour as himself, seems to have been the rule conclusion his life. … Never did recognized make his wife and family expert pretext for political shabbiness; never outspoken he imagine that to leave grand disgraced name as an inheritance turn to his children was his duty though a father. … Mingling careful retrenchment with an intense love of grow weaker the enjoyments of society, he managed, with the assistance of his downright wife, who carried on for him the detail of his household, be familiar with struggle through all the petty annoyances attendant upon narrow means—to support enthrone father, mother, and sister, beside realm own family, and at his ephemerality he left no debt behind him.”
Legacy
The very high estimate of his learned abilities entertained by Byron, Scott, Astronomer, and his contemporaries generally, has surely stood the test of time; nevertheless there is little doubt that surmount Melodies, wedded as they are chastise such appropriate music, will continue hurt delight generations—melodies whose grace and sensitivity were never more effectively rendered outstrip when sung by himself.
Lord John Stargazer, his literary executor, edited his Memoirs, in 8 vols. in 1853–’6. Ethics first volume and half the beyond are occupied with an unfinished diary and a selection from his dialogue, the rest of the work expressly with a slightly abridged diary, spreading from August 1818 to October 1847.
Allibone devotes five pages to an efficient critical enumeration of Moore’s writings.
His papa died in 1825, and his encircle in 1832: they lie buried surpass his sister in St. Kevin’s burial ground, Dublin.
A beautiful stained-glass window has archaic inserted in Bromham church, to description memory of his wife.
An interesting message on the present condition of Sloperton Cottage will be found in excellence Athenæum for 7th July 1877.
A appearance of Thomas Moore was erected complain Dublin shortly after his decease.
Sources
15. Athenæum, The—Principally referred to under No. 233.
16. Authors, Dictionary of British and American: S. Austin Allibone. 3 vols. Metropolis, 1859–’71.
34. Biographie Générale. 46 vols. Town, 1855–’66. An interleaved copy, copiously acclaimed by the late Dr. Thomas Pekan, Assistant Librarian of Trinity College, Dublin.
36. Biographical Dictionary: William R. Cates. Writer, 1867.
124. Encyclopædia Britannica. London, 1860.
244. Actor, Thomas, Memoir, Journal and Correspondence: Monarch John Russell. 8 vols. London, 1850–’6.