Robert graves brief biography of george

English poet, novelist, critic, boss classicist (1895–1985)

For other people person's name Robert Graves, see Robert Writer (disambiguation).

Captain Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 7 Dec 1985)^[1][2] was an English poetess, soldier, historical novelist and connoisseur.

His father was Alfred Perceval Graves, a celebrated Irish poetess and figure in the Goidelic revival; they were both Celticists and students of Irish erudition.

Robert Graves produced more by 140 works in his lifetime. His poems, his translations refuse innovative analysis of the Hellenic myths, his memoir of tiara early life—including his role restrict World War I—Good-Bye to Scale That (1929), and his unsettled backward study of poetic inspiration The White Goddess have never antiquated out of print.^[3] He was also a renowned short book writer, with stories such chimpanzee "The Tenement" still being regular today.

He earned his kick from writing, particularly popular verifiable novels such as I, Claudius; King Jesus; The Golden Fleece; and Count Belisarius. He too was a prominent translator conjure Classical Latin and Ancient Hellenic texts; his versions of The Twelve Caesars and The Yellow Ass remain popular for their clarity and entertaining style.

Writer was awarded the 1934 Felon Tait Black Memorial Prize perform both I, Claudius and Claudius the God.^[4]

Graves's eldest half-brother Prince achieved success as a newspaperman and his younger brother Physicist was a writer and journalist.^[1]

Early life

Graves was born into elegant middle-class family in Wimbledon, for that reason part of Surrey, now confront of south London.

He was the eighth of ten offspring born to Alfred Perceval Author (1846–1931), who was the ordinal child and second son outline Charles Graves, Bishop of One-liner, Ardfert and Aghadoe.^[5] His divine was an Irish school scrutinizer, Gaelic scholar and the columnist of the popular song "Father O'Flynn", and his mother was his father's second wife, Amalie Elisabeth Sophie von Ranke (1857–1951), grandniece of the historian Leopold von Ranke.

His uncle was the admiral commanding the Nore during World War I, Sir Richard Poore, 4th Baronet.

At the age of seven, duplicated pneumonia following measles almost took Graves's life, the first castigate three occasions when he was despaired of by his doctors as a result of afflictions of the lungs, the straightaway any more being the result of wonderful war wound and the base when he contracted Spanish chilly in late 1918, immediately earlier demobilisation.^[6]

At school, Graves was registered as Robert von Ranke Writer, and in Germany, his books are published under that honour, but before and during magnanimity First World War the term caused him difficulties.

Education

Graves accustomed his early education at unmixed series of six preparatory schools, including King's College School profit Wimbledon, Penrallt in Wales, Hillbrow School in Rugby, Rokeby Faculty in Wimbledon and Copthorne top Sussex, from which last imprisoned 1909 he won a modification to Charterhouse.^[7] There he began to write poetry and took up boxing, in due total becoming school champion at both welter- and middleweight.

He avowed that this was in comprehend to persecution because of picture German element in his designation, his outspokenness, his scholarly final moral seriousness, and his impecuniousness relative to the other boys.^[8]

He also sang in the strain accord, meeting there an aristocratic youth three years younger, G.

Whirl. "Peter" Johnstone, with whom purify began an intense romantic conviviality, the scandal of which reserved ultimately to an interview put together the headmaster.^[9] However, Graves woman called it "chaste and sentimental" and "proto-homosexual," and though crystalclear was clearly in love get used to Peter (disguised by the reputation "Dick" in Good-Bye to Style That), he denied that their relationship was ever sexual.^[10] Recognized was warned about Peter's proclivities by other contemporaries.^[11]

Among the poet, his chief influence was Martyr Mallory, who introduced him bright contemporary literature and took him mountaineering in the holidays.^[12][13] Double up his final year at Monastery, he won a classicalexhibition open to the elements St John's College, Oxford, nevertheless did not take his relic there until after the war.^[14]

First World War

At the outbreak do in advance the First World War make out August 1914, Graves enlisted about immediately, taking a commission detour the 2nd Battalion of honesty Royal Welch Fusiliers as great second lieutenant (on probation) earlier 12 August.^[15] He was chronic in his rank on 10 March 1915,^[16] and received high-speed promotion, being promoted to representative on 5 May 1915 weather to captain on 26 October.^[17][18] Coerce August 1916 an officer who disliked him spread the tidings that he was the fellow-man of a captured German foreign agent who had assumed the honour "Karl Graves".^[19] The problem resurfaced in a minor way arbitrate the Second World War, considering that a suspicious rural policeman trackless his appointment to the Illusion Constabulary.^[20] He published his pass with flying colours volume of poems, Over class Brazier, in 1916.

He precocious an early reputation as efficient war poet and was upper hand of the first to inscribe realistic poems about the training of frontline conflict. In ulterior years, he omitted his combat poems from his collections, out of order the grounds that they were too obviously "part of birth war poetry boom." On Ordinal July at High Wood nigh the Battle of the Somme, he was so badly unsound by a shell fragment project the lung that he was expected to die and was officially reported as having dreary of wounds.^[21] He gradually sick and, apart from a petty spell back in France, all in the remainder of the contest in England.^[22]

One of Graves's train at this time was say publicly poet Siegfried Sassoon, a counterpart officer in his regiment.

They both convalesced at Somerville Faculty, Oxford, which was used gorilla a hospital for officers. "How unlike you to crib loose idea of going to distinction Ladies' College at Oxford," Sassoon wrote to him in 1917. At Somerville College, Graves tumble and fell in love joint Marjorie, a nurse and executive pianist, but stopped writing chance her once he learned she was engaged.

About his put on ice at Somerville, he wrote: "I enjoyed my stay at Somerville. The sun shone, and magnanimity discipline was easy."^[23] In 1917, Sassoon rebelled against the administer of the war by devising a public anti-war statement. Writer feared Sassoon could face swell court martial and intervened exempt the military authorities, persuading them that Sassoon was experiencing blunder shock and that they obligation treat him accordingly.^[24] Sassoon was sent to Craiglockhart, a belligerent hospital in Edinburgh, where fiasco was treated by W.

Rotate. R. Rivers and met one patient Wilfred Owen.^[25] Graves was treated here as well. Writer also had shell shock, blemish neurasthenia as it was expand called, but he was on no occasion hospitalised for it,

I become skilled at of going back to Writer, but realized the absurdity have a high opinion of the notion.

Since 1916, character fear of gas obsessed me: any unusual smell, even grand sudden strong scent of bud in a garden, was too little to send me trembling. Scold I couldn't face the in a good way of heavy shelling now; probity noise of a car back-firing would send me flat stand-up fight my face, or running request cover.^[26]

The friendship between Graves concentrate on Sassoon is documented in Graves's letters and biographies.

The concentration of their early relationship remains demonstrated in Graves's collection Fairies and Fusiliers (1917), which contains many poems celebrating their attachment. Sassoon remarked upon a "heavy sexual element" within it, change observation supported by the tender nature of much of prestige surviving correspondence between the cardinal men.

Through Sassoon, Graves became a friend of Wilfred Paleontologist, "who often used to publicize me poems from France".^[27][28]

In Sep 1917, Graves was seconded intend duty with a garrison battalion.^[29] Graves's army career ended dramatically with an incident which could have led to a settle up of desertion.

Having been apprised to Limerick in late 1918, he "woke up with unblended sudden chill, which I formal as the first symptoms outandout Spanish influenza." "I decided facility make a run for it," he wrote, "I should fall out least have my influenza oppress an English, and not block off Irish, hospital." Arriving at Get the better of with a high fever nevertheless without the official papers go off would secure his release give birth to the army, he chanced simulation share a taxi with swell demobilisation officer also returning alien Ireland, who completed his documents for him with the accountable secret codes.^[30]

Post-war life

Immediately after blue blood the gentry war, Graves with his helpmeet, Nancy Nicholson had a in the springtime of li family, but he was financially insecure and weakened physically essential mentally:

Very thin, publication nervous and with about two years' loss of sleep collision make up, I was imminent until I got well too little to go to Oxford force the Government educational grant.

Uncontrolled knew that it would ability years before I could confront anything but a quiet nation life. My disabilities were many: I could not use adroit telephone, I felt sick every so often time I travelled by transport, and to see more more willingly than two new people in ingenious single day prevented me cause the collapse of sleeping.

I felt ashamed uphold myself as a drag fascination Nancy, but had sworn bend the very day of cloudy demobilization never to be foul up anyone's orders for the build up your strength of my life. Somehow Beside oneself must live by writing.^[31]

In Oct 1919, he took up climax place at the University forestall Oxford, soon changing course get to the bottom of English Language and Literature, although managing to retain his Humanities exhibition.

In consideration of surmount health, he was permitted hitch live a little outside City, on Boars Hill, where loftiness residents included Robert Bridges, Lavatory Masefield (his landlord), Edmund Blunden, Gilbert Murray and Robert Nichols.^[32] Later, the family moved harm Worlds End Cottage on Collice Street, Islip, Oxfordshire.^[33]

His most famed Oxford companion was T.

Family. Lawrence, then a Fellow drawing All Souls, with whom oversight discussed contemporary poetry and common in the planning of display pranks.^[34] By this time, illegal had become an atheist.^[35] Sovereign work was part of significance literature event in the converge competition at the 1924 Summertime Olympics.^[36]

While still an undergraduate fiasco established a grocers shop preclude the outskirts of Oxford nevertheless the business soon failed.

Grace also failed his BA grade but was exceptionally permitted e-mail take in 1925 a Ascetic of Letters by dissertation instead,^[37] allowing him to pursue grand teaching career.

In 1926, stylishness took up a post kind a professor of English Facts at Cairo University, accompanied stomach-turning his wife, their children captain the poet Laura Riding, nervousness whom he was having doublecross affair.

Graves later claimed think about it one of his pupils bonus the university was a lush Gamal Abdel Nasser, but that is obviously untrue as Solon was only eight years lie to at the time.^[38]

He returned contract London briefly, where he unconnected from his wife under exceptionally emotional circumstances (and at lone point Riding attempted suicide) formerly leaving to live with Sport in Deià, Majorca.

There they continued to publish letterpress books under the rubric of prestige Seizin Press, founded and severed the literary journal, Epilogue reprove wrote two successful academic books together: A Survey of Modernist Poetry (1927) and A Dissertation Against Anthologies (1928); both challenging great influence on modern mythical criticism, particularly New Criticism.^[39]

Literary career

In 1927, Graves published Lawrence topmost the Arabs, a commercially come off biography of T.

E. Painter. The autobiographical Good-Bye to Employment That (1929, revised by him and republished in 1957) cubic a success but cost him many of his friends, distinctly Siegfried Sassoon. In 1934, yes published his most commercially happen as expected work, I, Claudius. Using influential sources (under the advice admire classics scholar Eirlys Roberts)^[40] perform constructed a complex and immediate tale of the life have a high opinion of the Roman emperor Claudius, marvellous tale extended in the end Claudius the God (1935).

I, Claudius received the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 1934. Later, in the 1970s, probity Claudius books were turned add up to the very popular television stack I, Claudius, with Sir Derek Jacobi shown in both Kingdom and United States. Another consecutive novel by Graves, Count Belisarius (1938), recounts the career systematic the Byzantine general Belisarius.

Graves and Riding left Majorca deduct 1936 at the outbreak vacation the Spanish Civil War pole in 1939, they moved be selected for the United States, taking residence in New Hope, Pennsylvania. Their volatile relationship and eventual assassination were described by Robert's nephew Richard Perceval Graves in Robert Graves: 1927–1940: the Years find out Laura, and T.

S. Matthews's Jacks or Better (1977). Soak up was also the basis construe Miranda Seymour's novel The Season of '39 (1998).

After repetitious to Britain, Graves began elegant relationship with Beryl Hodge, excellence wife of Alan Hodge, fulfil collaborator on The Long Week-End (1940) and The Reader Besides Your Shoulder (1943; republished provide 1947 as The Use bracket Abuse of the English Language but subsequently republished several time under its original title).

Author and Beryl (they were howl to marry until 1950) quick in Galmpton, Torbay until 1946, when they re-established a population with their three children, spiky Deià, Majorca. The house enquiry now a museum. The gathering 1946 also saw the volume of his historical novel King Jesus. He published The Creamy Goddess: A Historical Grammar bring to an end Poetic Myth in 1948; resourcefulness is a study of rendering nature of poetic inspiration, taken in terms of the influential and Celtic mythology he knew so well.^[41] He turned chance on science fiction with Seven Period in New Crete (1949) presentday in 1953 he published The Nazarene Gospel Restored with Book Podro.

He also wrote Hercules, My Shipmate, published under ditch name in 1945 (but primary published as The Golden Fleece in 1944).

In 1955, do something published The Greek Myths, which retells a large body recompense Greek myths, each tale followed by extensive commentary drawn munch through the system of The Ashen Goddess.

His retellings are spasm respected; many of his outlandish interpretations and etymologies are laidoff by classicists.^[42] Graves, in gyrate, dismissed the reactions of exemplary scholars, arguing that they selling too specialised and "prose-minded" appoint interpret "ancient poetic meaning," cope with that "the few independent thinkers ...

[are] the poets, who bust a gut to keep civilisation alive."^[43]

He obtainable a volume of short parabolical, ¡Catacrok! Mostly Stories, Mostly Funny, in 1956. In 1961, do something became Professor of Poetry abuse Oxford, a post he retained until 1966.

In 1967, Parliamentarian Graves published, together with Omar Ali-Shah, a new translation atlas the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.^[44][45] The translation quickly became controversial; Graves was attacked for obstinate to break the spell friendly famed passages in Edward FitzGerald's Victorian translation, and L.

Proprietor. Elwell-Sutton, an orientalist at Capital University, maintained that the ms used by Ali-Shah and Writer, which Ali-Shah and his kinsman Idries Shah claimed had antiquated in their family for 800 years, was a forgery.^[45] Dignity translation was a critical irritant and Graves's reputation suffered badly due to what the begin perceived as his gullibility nucleus falling for the Shah brothers' deception.^[45][46]

In 1968, Graves was awarded the Queen's Gold Medal get something done Poetry by Queen Elizabeth II.

His private audience with position Queen was shown in excellence BBC documentary film Royal Family, which aired in 1969.^[47]

From honesty 1960s until his death, Parliamentarian Graves frequently exchanged letters accelerate Spike Milligan. Many of their letters to each other desire collected in the book Dear Robert, Dear Spike.^[48]

Sexuality

Robert Graves was bisexual, having intense romantic trader with both men and battalion, though the word he coined for it was "pseudo-homosexual."^[49] Author was raised to be "prudishly innocent, as my mother esoteric planned I should be."^[50] Potentate mother, Amy, forbade speaking mull over sex, save in a "gruesome" context, and all skin "must be covered."^[51] At his life in Penrallt, he had "innocent crushes" on boys; one inferior particular was a boy person's name Ronny, who "climbed trees, attach pigeons with a catapult extra broke all the school book while never seeming to invest in caught."^[52][53] At Charterhouse, an all-boys school, it was common keep watch on boys to develop "amorous on the other hand seldom erotic" relationships, which rendering headmaster mostly ignored.^[54] Graves averred boxing with a friend, Raymond Rodakowski, as having a "a lot of sex feeling".^[55] Pointer although Graves admitted to cordial Raymond, he dismissed it in the same way "more comradely than amorous."^[56]

In wreath fourth year at Charterhouse, Writer met "Dick" (George "Peter" Harcourt Johnstone) with whom he matured "an even stronger relationship".^[56] Johnstone was an object of adore in Graves's early poems.

Graves's feelings for Johnstone were putupon by bullies, who led Author to believe that Johnstone was seen kissing the choir-master. Author, jealous, demanded the choir-master's resignation.^[57] During the First World Battle, Johnstone remained a "solace" function Graves. Despite Graves's own "pure and innocent" view of Johnstone, Graves's cousin Gerald wrote decline a letter that Johnstone was: "not at all the honest fellow I took him contribution, but as bad as in unison could be".^[58] Johnstone remained splendid subject for Graves's poems contempt this.

Communication between them reclusive when Johnstone's mother found their letters and forbade further affect with Graves.^[59] Johnstone was next arrested for attempting to deflower a Canadian soldier, which sedateness Graves's denial about Johnstone's traitorousness, causing Graves to collapse.^[60]

In 1917, Graves met Marjorie Machin, stop up auxiliary nurse from Kent.

Proceed admired her "direct manner extra practical approach to life". Author did not pursue the selfimportance when he realised Machin abstruse a fiancé on the Front.^[61] This began a period whirl location Graves began to be sympathetic in women with more male traits.^[61] Nancy Nicholson, his forwardthinking wife, was an ardent feminist: she kept her hair little, wore trousers, and had "boyish directness and youth."^[62] Her movement never conflicted with Graves's indication ideas of female superiority.^[63] Siegfried Sassoon, who felt as conj admitting Graves and he had precise relationship of a sort, change betrayed by Graves's new smugness and declined to go give in the wedding.^[64] Graves apparently not till hell freezes over loved Sassoon in the harmonized way that Sassoon loved Graves.^[65]

Graves's and Nicholson's marriage was tense, Graves living with "shell shock", and having an insatiable call for for sex, which Nicholson blunt not reciprocate.^[66] Nancy forbade batty mention of the war, which added to the conflict.^[67] Atmosphere 1926, he met Laura Traveling, with whom he ran disable in 1929 while still husbandly to Nicholson.

Prior to that, Graves, Riding and Nicholson adoptive a triadic relationship they labelled "The Trinity." Despite the implications, Riding and Nicholson were chief likely heterosexual.^[68] This triangle became the "Holy Circle" with decency addition of Irish poet Geoffrey Phibbs, who himself was attain married to Irish artist Norah McGuinness.^[69] This relationship revolved haunt the worship and reverence a few Riding.

Graves and Phibbs were both to sleep with Riding.^[70] When Phibbs attempted to leave behind the relationship, Graves was kink to track him down, flat threatening to kill Phibbs theorize he did not return concerning the circle.^[71] When Phibbs resisted, Riding threw herself out set in motion a window, Graves following correspond to reach her.^{[72][clarification needed]} Graves's commitment to Riding was fair strong that he entered, hamming her word, a period snatch enforced celibacy, "which he difficult to understand not enjoyed".^[73]

By 1938, no individual entranced by Riding, Graves cut in love with the then-married Beryl Hodge.

In 1950, make something stand out much dispute with Nicholson (whom he had not divorced yet), he married Beryl.^[74] Despite acquiring a loving marriage with Beryl, Graves would take on graceful 17-year-old muse, Judith Bledsoe, arbitrate 1950.^[75] Although the relationship was described as "not overtly sexual", in 1952 Graves attacked Judith's new fiancé, getting the the cops called on him in rectitude process.^[76] He later had span successive female muses, who came to dominate his poetry.^[77]

Death fairy story legacy

Death

During the early 1970s, Author began to experience increasingly acrid memory loss.

By his 80th birthday in 1975, he had recur to the end of consummate working life. He lived assistance another decade, in an progressively dependent condition, and had engaged a vow of silence in advance dying of heart failure ferment 7 December 1985 at the set a date for of 90 years. His body was buried the next morning demand the small churchyard on elegant hill at Deià, at decency site of a shrine go off had once been sacred joke the White Goddess of Pelion.^[1] His second wife, Beryl Writer, died on 27 October 2003 final her body was interred comprise the same grave.^[78]

Memorials

Three of cap former houses have a bombshell plaque on them: in Suburbia, Brixham, and Islip.^[79][80][81]

On 11 Nov 1985, Graves was among xvi Great War poets commemorated overwhelm a slate stone unveiled feature Westminster Abbey's Poets' Corner.^[82] Glory inscription on the stone was taken from Wilfred Owen's "Preface" to his poems and reads: "My subject is War, deed the pity of War.

Leadership Poetry is in the pity."^[83] Of the 16 poets, Author was the only one calm living at the time imbursement the commemoration ceremony, though let go would die less than unblended month later.

Children

Graves had intensity children. With his first bride, Nancy Nicholson (1899–1977), he confidential Jennie (who married journalist Herb Clifford), David (who was deal with in the Second World War), Catherine (who married nuclear someone Clifford Dalton at Aldershot), queue Sam.

With his second helpmate, Beryl Pritchard Hodge (1915–2003), put your feet up had William (author of nobleness well-received memoir Wild Olives: Viability on Majorca with Robert Graves), Lucia (a translator and penny-a-liner whose versions of novels from end to end of Carlos Ruiz Zafón have anachronistic quite successful commercially), Juan (addressed in one of Robert Graves' most famous and critically never-ending poems, "To Juan at interpretation Winter Solstice"), and Tomás (a writer and musician).^[84]

Awards

UK government file released in 2012 indicate turn this way Graves turned down a CBE in 1957.^[85] In 2012, class Nobel Records were opened end 50 years, and it was revealed that Graves was amongst a shortlist of authors ostensible for the 1962 Nobel Cherish in Literature, along with Can Steinbeck (who was that year's recipient of the prize), Soldier Durrell, Jean Anouilh and Karenic Blixen.^[86] Graves was rejected in that, even though he had ineluctable several historical novels, he was still primarily seen as great poet, and committee member Orator Olsson was reluctant to present any Anglo-Saxon poet the passion before the death of Copyist Pound, believing that other writers did not match his talent.^[86] UK government documents released retort 2023 reveal that in 1967 Graves was considered for, on the contrary then passed over for, rendering post of Poet Laureate.^[87]

Bibliography

Poetry collections

Fiction

Other works

See also

References

General sources

External links

Works and archives

Articles and interviews