Austin, Alfred (1835-1913), an English poet, writer, and editor, was poet laureate of the United Kingdom from 1896 to 1913. Critics were not highly supportive of his poetry, and many critics and readers criticized his appointment as poet laureate. Many people considered Austin’s appointment to be a political gesture in recognition of Austin’s support for the Conservative Party.
Austin wrote more than 20 volumes of poetry, including poems written for royal occasions. His other published work includes political writings, novels, and literary criticism. Reviewers criticized his poetry for being sentimental and moralistic. Austin’s published poetry includes the epic dramatic poem The Human Tragedy (1876) and two volumes published in 1891, Lyrical Poems and Narrative Poems. Austin’s Jameson’s Ride (1896), which was published in the British newspaper The Times shortly after his appointment as poet laureate, was the subject of much criticism and parody.
Austin was a journalist for the London Standard newspaper from the mid-1860’s to 1896. In 1883, he helped establish The National Review, a literary and political journal, which he edited until 1895. Austin’s best-known work is a volume of prose describing his garden in Kent, The Garden That I Love (1894), which gained considerable popular success. Austin’s autobiography was published in 1911.
Alfred Austin was born in Headingley, near Leeds, Yorkshire. He was educated at Oscott College, Warwickshire, a Roman Catholic college, and received a degree from London University in 1853. Austin went on to study law and began practicing law in 1857. In 1858, after inheriting an income on the death of his uncle, he left the law profession and became a writer. Austin ran for Parliament as a Conservative candidate in 1865 and 1880 but lost both elections.
