Austin, Alfred

Alfred (1835-), an English poet, critic, and journalist, poet laureate of England. He was born at Headingly, near Leeds. He was educated at the University of London and called to the bar in 1857. For ten years he was editor of the National Review. He was made poet laureate on the death of Tennyson in 1896. Mr. Austin is the author of novels, political works, and many volumes of poems. Among them may be mentioned, The Season, a Satire, The Human Tragedy, Savonarola. In prose and verse are The Garden that I Love, In Lamia's Winter Quarters, and Haunts of Ancient Peace. Austin has severely criticised the poetry of his own period, calling it "feminine, narrow, domesticated, timorous." He demands the movement and passion of former eras, and yet his own poetry lacks decidedly both movement and passion. There is some diversity of opinion in regard to his verse, but it is conceded generally that his shorter poems are more acceptable than his pretentious efforts.

The author's satirical interludes have point, and I have seen graceful lyrics from his pen; but his ambitious verse, on whatever principle composed, is not of the class that reaches the popular heart, nor likely, on the other hand, to capture a select group of votaries like those so loyal from the outset to Rossetti and Browning. --Stedman.