Thomson, James

James Thomson
11 September 1700 - 27 August 1748

Scottish poet and dramatist, loosely associated with the Graveyard School poets (fondly known around LitGothic as "the boneyard boys" — most were indeed male), friend and supporter of William Collins and rather well-connected member of the early C18 London literati. Thomson's major work was the long poem The Seasons (1726-1730), hugely influential for a generation of poets and writers (including Ann Radcliffe, who, famously, never spelled his name correctly); his sensitive depictions of nature are sometime cited as an important influence on Romanticism. He is, however, only tangentially related to the Graveyard School, largely through his interest in creating strong emotional responses in his readers, including a few almost-gloomy moments in "Winter."

Sites:
Biographical essay
[James Balakier, U South Dakota; Literary Encyclopedia]
Biographical overview (PDF)
[Richmond upon Thames Local Studies Collection
Brief biographical note
[Scottish Libraries Across the Internet]
Brief biographical note
[Wikipedia]
Brief biographical note
Focuses on Thomson as a writer of "natural history" in the (pre-)Romantic period and on his influence on early C19 poets. [Ashton Nichols, Dickinson College]
Brief biographical note
[Columbia Encyclopedia, Bartleby]
Brief biographical note a LitGothic etext
[John W. Cousins, A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature, 1910]


Etexts:
The Seasons [1726-1746]
Thomson's major work exists in several forms, as he was an inveterate revisor and expander of his own work.

"Winter"
- excerpt from The Seasons [U Toronto]

"Winter: A Poem" [1726]
This is not the final (1746) version from The Seasons, but the shorter version from the first edition (1726).
- at Jack Lynch's site [Rutgers U]

"Spring" [1728]

"Summer" [1727]
- excerpt [U Toronto]

"Autumn" [1730]
- excerpt [Republic of Pemberly]



Essays:
Nature in C18 Poetry.
An overview that mentions Thomson and other Graveyard School poets. [James Sutherland]

"James Thomson."