Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774) was an author, playwright, and poet. Goldsmith is best remembered for his novel The Vicar of Wakefield and his play She Stoops to Conquer.
Life[]
Born at some point in the November of 1728, Goldsmith was born in Ireland (though the specific location within Ireland is still disputed). Two years after this birth, Goldsmith's father was appointed to a rectory in County Westmeath and moved to the town of Lissoy where he lived for the rest of his life.
In 1744, Goldsmith started attending the Trinity College in Dublin. He was largely delinquent in his studies and was expelled three years later after taking part in a riot at the Marshalsea Prison. Around the same time, Goldsmith's father died. Two years later, Goldsmith managed to gain a Bachelorship in Arts. This Bachelorship did little for Goldsmith. After living with his mother for a brief period, Goldsmith enrolled in the University of Edinburgh (where he spent three years studying medicine) and toured through Europe while busking with his flute. After this walking tour, Goldsmith settled in London.
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Writing style[]
Though he was a founding member of Samuel Johnson's "Club", Goldsmith was regarded as an "inspired idiot" due to his "dissolute lifestyle". Alongside authors such as Henry Fielding, Laurence Sterne, and the afformentioned Dr. Johnson, Goldsmith's works are emblematic of the middle of the eighteenth century within England. His works are largely comedic and pastoral.
Throughout his life, Goldsmith was a devoted Anglican.
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Notable works[]
- The Citizen of the World (or the Chinese Letters) - a series of letters supposedly written by a visitor to England from China which serve to satirize British society
- The Vicar of Wakefield - Goldsmith's only novel, a short (with most editions being around 100-200 pages) work about the titular Vicar.
- The Traveller - a philosophic poem
- The Hermit - a romantic ballad
- The Good-Natur'd Man - a comedic play
- The Deserted Village - a poem about the demolition of a village
- She Stoops to Conquer - a comedic play and one of the best known plays of its era
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See also[]
- Dr. Samuel Johnson
- Henry Fielding
- Laurence Sterne
Sources[]
- Wikipedia