Coventry Patmore was considered one of the great poets of the Victorian Age by his contemporaries. Today, he is best known for his series of poems entitled

The Angel in the House

, which nineteenth-century readers applauded as works about a man’s love for his wife, but which have received criticism in recent decades for setting unrealistic standards for women.

He was born Coventry Kersey Dighton Patmore on July 23, 1836 (Eron 2004) in Woodford, Essex (Freeman 1923, 221). He was steeped in literary culture from an early age because his father, Peter George Patmore, was the editor of the New Monthly Magazine and socialized with many famous writers of the day (Flanders 2003, xxiii). Peter Patmore took his son’s schooling seriously. As Eron has noted, “Patmore senior took charge of his

1276 words

Citation: Shirley, Taten. "Coventry Patmore". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 05 July 2021 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=3500, accessed 23 November 2024.]

3500 Coventry Patmore 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

Save this article

Leave Feedback

The Literary Encyclopedia is a living community of scholars. We welcome comments which will help us improve.