Collected Poems

by Francis Thompson

Francis Thompson (16 December 1859 [?] - 13 November 1907) was an English poet and Catholic mystic. At the behest of his father, a doctor, he entered medical school at the age of 18, but at 26 left home to pursue his talent as a writer and poet. He spent three years on the streets of London, supporting himself with menial labour, becoming addicted to opium which he took to relieve a nervous problem. In 1888 a married couple, publishers, read his poetry and took him into their home for a time. They were to publish his first book Poems in 1893. In 1897, he switched to writing prose, drawing inspiration from life in the countryside, Wales and Storrington. His health, always fragile, continued to deteriorate and he died of tuberculosis in 1907. By that time he had published three books of poetry, along with other works and essays.

Genres: Poetry

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1913

About the author

Francis Thompson was an English poet and ascetic. After attending college, he moved to London to become a writer, but in menial work, became addicted to opium, and was a street vagrant for years. A married couple read his poetry and rescued him, publishing his first book Poems in 1893. Thompson lived as an unbalanced invalid in Wales and at Storrington, but wrote three books of poetry, with other works and essays, before dying of tuberculosis in 1907.

Reviews

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Translations, p.120

[j e rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

"And barren is my song, and barren is my heart."

[Stay Fetters · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sir Francis Thompson is currently Jack the Ripper of 2015, until next year they believe it to be someone else.
He loved opium and let's not forget the hookers. The wonderful ladies of the night.

Didn't finish and didn't even come close. Some of these poems go straight over your head and other ones are so simple that you wonder if they were written by the same person.

Victorian England everyone was addicted to hookers, so keep looking for a mysterious villain.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75