Educated privately at home, Patmore showed early artistic talent and was awarded the silver palette of the Society of Arts in 1838. In 1839, he spent six months studying in France, where he began to write poetry. On his return to England, he spent some time studying science before again turning to his literary pursuits. In 1844, he published Poems, his first collection of verse. Although the work was highly criticized, it managed to impress Dante Rossetti who introduced Patmore to the pre-Raphaelites. He contributed poetry to the Germ, the society's journal. In 1846, he became an assistant librarian at the British Museum, a position he would hold until 1865. In 1853, he re-published a number of the better pieces from Poems, together with some new works. The following year, he published the first part of an epic poem, The Angel in the House, which was followed by The Espousals (1856), Faithful For Ever (1860) and The Victories of Love in 1862. In 1866, he purchased an estate in East Grinstead. In 1877, he published The Unknown Eros, arguably his finest work. Patmore also wrote some criticism and a number of essays. In his later years, he resided at Leamington. Today, Patmore is one of the mostly highly regarded Victorian poets. His other works include Amelia (1878), English Metrical Law (1878), Principles in Art (1879), How I Managed My Estate (1886) and Religio poetae (1893). |
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