James Thomson

James Thomson (1700-1748)

1. Scottish Poet, Ednam, Roxburgh, Scotland
2. Went to London in 1725 and started his career as a tutor.
3. Talbot was his patron who died in 1738.
4. George  Lyttleton , the commissioner of the Treasury, became his new patron.
5. Works
   1. The Season
      1. Published in 4 parts:
         1. Winter 1726
            1. Dedication produced only 20 guineas not a patron
         2. The Summer 1727
         3. Spring 1728
         4. Autumn
            1. The whole poem including Autumn was published in 1730
      2. First sustained nature poem in English and concludes with a Hymn of Nature.
   2. To the Memory of Sir Isaac Newton 1727
   3. Sophonisba
      1. A tragedy produced at Drury Lane Theatre in 1730 with Moderate Success.
   4. Libarty (1734-1736)
      1. A long poem on travel, published in 5 parts was a failure.
   5. Agamemnon 1738
      1. A tragedy
   6. Edward and Eleanora 1739
      1. Was banned for political reasons.
   7. Alfred
      1. With his friend David Mallet, Thomson wrote this Masque.
      2. With music by Thomas Arne who created the song: Rule, Britanica
   8. Tancred and Sigismunda 1745
      1. Thomson’s most successful play
   9. The Castle of Indolence 1748
      1. A poem written in imitation of Edmund Spenser and reflected Thomson’s love of idleness