Edmund Smith (1672–1710), born Edmund Neale, was a minor English poet in the early 18th century. He is little read today but

Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson ( – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, literary critic, sermonist, biographer, editor, and lexicographer. The ''Oxford ...

included him in his ''

Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets ''Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets'' (1779–81), alternatively known by the shorter title ''Lives of the Poets'', is a work by Samuel Johnson comprising short biographies and critical appraisals of 52 poets, most of whom lived during th ...

'' in 1781.

Biography

The son of a successful merchant, Edmund Smith attended

Westminster School Westminster School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Westminster, London, England, in the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It descends from a charity school founded by Westminster Benedictines before the Norman Conquest, as do ...

and

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

where he stayed until 1705. Smith translated ''

Phèdre ''Phèdre'' (; originally ''Phèdre et Hippolyte'') is a French dramatic tragedy in five acts written in alexandrine verse by Jean Racine, first performed in 1677 at the theatre of the Hôtel de Bourgogne in Paris. Composition and premiere With ...

'' by Racine which was staged in 1707 and died in Wiltshire in 1710.

Notable works

*''Phaedra and Hippolitus'' (1707) (translation of ''Phèdre'' by Racine) *''A poem on the death of Mr. John Philips'' (1710) *''Works'' (1714) (posthumous publication) *''Thales; a monody, sacred to the memory of Dr. Pococke. In imitation of Spenser'' (1750) (posthumous publication)

Notes

External links

1672 births 1710 deaths English male poets {{england-poet-stub