Send some poetry to a friend - the love thought that counts!
 
Poems for the People   -  Poems by the People

Classic Poetry from Passions in Poetry


Edward Lear 1812 - 1888

English artist, traveller and writer. He wrote and illustrated many books most of which fall into one of two categories, travel or children's verse. Under the patronage of the thirteenth Earl of Derby he travelled widely and produced many illustrated works detailing his experiences. Sketches of Rome (1842), and Illustrated Excursions in Italy (1846) are his most well known travel books. A greater part of his important works for children were written after 1870, these include Nonsense Songs, Stories, Botany and Alphabets (1870), More Nonsense Rhymes (1871), and Laughable Lyrics (1876).

Biography

Edward Lear was born in Holloway, London. He father was a stockbroker and he was brought up largely by his sister Ann. He spent his early years first as a draughtsman for the Zoological Society, then as an artist for the British Museum.

In 1832 he was employed by the Earl of Derby to make coloured drawings of the rare birds and animals in the menagerie at Knowsley Hall. The Earl also allowed Lear the means to travel widely. He published accounts of his trips to Italy (1846), Albania and Illyria (1851), Calabria (1852), and Corsica (1870). He also visited the Holy Land and Greece.

He is chiefly remembered for his nonsense poetry, the first volume of which was written for his patron's grandchildren in 1846 and was simply entitled A Book of Nonsense. It contained Lear's favourite poetic format, the limerick, and was illustrated throughout. His poetry was henceforth marked by an air of ludicrous fantasy, as well as a unique inventiveness.

A deep sense of sadness can also be traced in his nonsense verse. This melancholy was a reflection of the life of the writer, who, despite the support of friends such as Tennyson's wife Emily, suffered from depression and loneliness.

Since his death, appreciation of his artistic work, the water-colours in particular, has risen. His real fame, however, was secured by poems from Nonsense Songs (1871) such as 'The Owl and the Pussycat'.

Available Poems
The Courtship of the Yonghy-Bongy-Bo
The Jumblies
The Owl and the Pussy Cat
The Pobble Who Has No Toes
There Was an Old Lady Whose Folly
There Was an Old Man in a Tree
There Was an Old Man With a Beard
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man with a beard
Book of Nonsense - There was a Young Lady of Ryde
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man with a nose
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man on a hill
Book of Nonsense - There was a Young Lady whose bonnet
Book of Nonsense - There was a Young Person of Smyrna
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Person of Chili
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man with a gong
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Lady of Chertsey
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man in a tree
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man with a flute
Book of Nonsense - There was a Young Lady whose chin
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of Kilkenny
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Person of Ischia
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man in a boat
Book of Nonsense - There was a Young lady of Portugal
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of Moldavia
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of Madras
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Person of Leeds
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of Peru
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Person of Hurst
Book of Nonsense - There was a Young person of Crete
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of the Isles
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Person of Buda
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of Columbia
Book of Nonsense - There was a young Lady of Dorking
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man who supposed
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of the West
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of the Wrekin
Book of Nonsense - There was a Young Lady whose eyes
Book of Nonsense - There was a Young Lady of Norway
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of Vienna
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Person whose habits
Book of Nonsense - There was an old person of Dover
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of Marseilles
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Person of Cadiz
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Person of Basing
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of Quebec
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Person of Philae
Book of Nonsense - There was a Young Lady of Bute
Book of Nonsense - There was a Young Lady whose nose
Book of Nonsense - There was a Young Lady of Turkey
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of Apulia
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man with a poker
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Person of Prague
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of the North
Book of Nonsense - There was a Young Lady of Poole
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Person of Mold
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man or Nepaul
Book of Nonsense - There was an old Man of th' Abruzzi
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Person of Rhodes
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of Peru
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of Melrose
Book of Nonsense - There was a Young Lady of Lucca
Book of Nonsense - There was an old Man of Bohemia
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of Vesuvius
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of Cape Horn
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Lady whose folly
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of Corfu
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of the South
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of the Nile
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Person of Rheims
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Person of Cromer
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Person of Troy
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of the Dee
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of Dundee
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Person of Tring
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man on some rocks
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of Coblenz
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of Calcutta
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man in a pew
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man who said, "How
Book of Nonsense - There was a Young Lady of Hull
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of Whitehaven
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of Leghorn
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of the Hague
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of Jamaica
Book of Nonsense - There was an old person of Dutton
Book of Nonsense - There was a Young Lady of Tyre
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man who said, " Hush
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of the East
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of Kamschatka
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of the Coast
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Person of Bangor
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man with a beard
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of the West
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Person of Anerley
Book of Nonsense - There was a Young Lady of Troy
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of Berlin
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Person of Spain
Book of Nonsense - There was a Young Lady of Russia
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man, who said, "Well
Book of Nonsense - There was a Young Lady of Wales
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Person of Cheadle
Book of Nonsense - There was a Young Lady of Welling
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Person of Tartary
Book of Nonsense - There was an old Person of Chester
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man with an owl
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Person of Gretna
Book of Nonsense - There was a Young Lady of Sweden
Book of Nonsense - There was a Young Girl of Majorca
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of the Cape
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Lady of Prague
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Person of Sparta
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man at a easement
Book of Nonsense - There was an old Person of Burton
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Person of Ems
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Person of Ewell
Book of Nonsense - There was a Young Lady of Parma
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man of Aosta
Book of Nonsense - There was an Old Man, on whose nose
Book of Nonsense - There was a Young Lady of Clare

pipHome | Top | All Poems | About | FAQ | Your Privacy | Contact Us

All poetry is copyright by the individual authors.
All other material on this web site, unless otherwise noted, is
Copyright 1998-2021 by Ron Carnell and Passions in Poetry.
- netpoets 2.9.1 -