Humphrey Gifford (?1544 - 12 June 1589) was an English poet.[1]
Life[]
Youth and education[]
Gifford was born circa 1544 in Devon, a son of Dorothy (Wikes) and Anthonie Giffard.[2] of Halsbury, Devonshire (probably their 2nd son).[3]
He attended Hart Hall, Oxford, where he earned a B.A. in 1567.[1]
Career[]
Gifford subsequently worked as a schoolmaster.[1]
He died 12 June 1589 in Barnstable, Devon.[2]
Writing[]
Gifford published in 1580 A Posie of Gilloflowers, eche differing from other in colour and odour, yet all sweete, 4to, of which a copy (supposed to be unique) is preserved in the King's Library, British Museum. A section is in prose, the other in verse. The prose is prefaced by a dedicatory epistle "To the worshipfull his very good Maister, Edward Cope of Edon, Esquier," whom Gifford describes as "the onely maister that euer I serued;" and the poetry is dedicated "To the Worshipfull John Stafford of Bletherwicke, Esquier."[3]
Little interest attaches to the prose, which chiefly consists of translations from the Italian; but some of the poems (in particular a spirited war song) have merit.[3]
Recognition[]
Gifford's poems, with selections from the prose, have been reprinted by Dr. Grosart in Occasional Issues, and again in Miscellanies of the “Fuller Worthies' Library.”[3]
Publications[]
Poetry[]
- A Posie of Gilloflowers. London: J. Perin, 1580.
- The Poems of Humphrey Gifford, Gentleman (edited by Alexander Balloch Grosart). Blackburn, UK: 1870.
Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.[4]
See also[]
References[]
Bullen, Arthur Henry (1890) "Gifford, Humphrey" in Stephen, Leslie; Lee, Sidney Dictionary of National Biography 21 London: Smith, Elder, p. 303 Wikisource, Web, Apr. 21, 2020.
=Notes[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Selected Poetry of Humphrey Gifford (-1589), Representative Poetry Online, University of Toronto, UToronto.ca, Web, Nov. 24, 2011.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Humphrie Gifford, Genealogy.com. Web, Apr. 21, 2020.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Bullen, 303.
- ↑ Search results = au:Humphrey Gifford, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Apr. 21, 2020.
External links[]
- Gifford, Humphrey (-1589) (2 poems) at Representative Poetry Online
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain, the Dictionary of National Biography (edited by Leslie Stephen & Sidney Lee). London: Smith, Elder, 1885-1900. Original article is at: Gifford, Humphrey
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