Thomas Fletcher
Encyclopedia
Thomas Fletcher was a minor English
poet and priest of the Church of England
. He was born in Avington, Hampshire
, received his B.A., M.A., and D.D.
from New College, Oxford
. He received the doctorate in 1707. He was the parish priest for Fairfield Somerset in 1694 and moved on to be the prebendary
in Wells Cathedral
from 1696 until his death. He became a fellow of Winchester College in 1711 and was buried in Westminster Cathedral
upon his death at age 47.
His sole contribution to English letters was an eight volume Poems on several occasions and translations, wherein the first and second books of Virgil
's 'AEneis
' are attempted in 1692. The collection contained mostly juvenalia
, its dedication said, and a good number of school exercises. His translation of the first book of Aeneid was in heroic couplets, while part of the translation of book 2 was in blank verse
. The volumes also contained a partial translation of Boethius's Consolation of Philosophy
and the second epode of Horace
.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
poet and priest of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
. He was born in Avington, Hampshire
Avington, Hampshire
Avington is a small village in the English county of Hampshire.It is located on the banks of the River Itchen to the northeast of the city of Winchester...
, received his B.A., M.A., and D.D.
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
from New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
. He received the doctorate in 1707. He was the parish priest for Fairfield Somerset in 1694 and moved on to be the prebendary
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
in Wells Cathedral
Wells Cathedral
Wells Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral in Wells, Somerset, England. It is the seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, who lives at the adjacent Bishop's Palace....
from 1696 until his death. He became a fellow of Winchester College in 1711 and was buried in Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral in London is the mother church of the Catholic community in England and Wales and the Metropolitan Church and Cathedral of the Archbishop of Westminster...
upon his death at age 47.
His sole contribution to English letters was an eight volume Poems on several occasions and translations, wherein the first and second books of Virgil
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid...
's 'AEneis
Aeneid
The Aeneid is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. It is composed of roughly 10,000 lines in dactylic hexameter...
' are attempted in 1692. The collection contained mostly juvenalia
Juvenalia
In classical antiquity, the Juvenalia, or Ludi Juvenales , were scenic games instituted by Nero in C.E 59, at the age of 21, in commemoration of his shaving his beard for the first time, thus indicating that he had passed from youth into manhood...
, its dedication said, and a good number of school exercises. His translation of the first book of Aeneid was in heroic couplets, while part of the translation of book 2 was in blank verse
Blank verse
Blank verse is poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter. It has been described as "probably the most common and influential form that English poetry has taken since the sixteenth century" and Paul Fussell has claimed that "about three-quarters of all English poetry is in blank verse."The first...
. The volumes also contained a partial translation of Boethius's Consolation of Philosophy
Consolation of Philosophy
Consolation of Philosophy is a philosophical work by Boethius, written around the year 524. It has been described as the single most important and influential work in the West on Medieval and early Renaissance Christianity, and is also the last great Western work that can be called Classical.-...
and the second epode of Horace
Horace
Quintus Horatius Flaccus , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:...
.