Place    From 1559 

Poets' Corner

Categories: Literature

The popular name for the south transept of Westminster Abbey. Geoffrey Chaucer was the first person to be interred here, although it was for his position as Clerk of Works to the Palace of Westminster, rather than for literary merit. It wasn't until the burial of Edmund Spenser that the tradition began. The name was supposed to have been coined by Oliver Goldsmith. Nowadays occupants are commemorated with a wall or floor tablet rather than actual interment.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Poets' Corner

Commemorated ati

Robert Browning - W8

Robert Browning lived in this house 1887 - 1889, from here his body was taken...

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Other Subjects

Cyril Connolly

Cyril Connolly

Literary critic and writer.  Born Coventry and was brought up in South Africa and Ireland as well as England.  Educated, with George Orwell and Cecil Beaton, at a school in Eastbourne.  Edited Hori...

Person, Literature, Ireland, South Africa

1 memorial
Edward Lear

Edward Lear

Born Bowman's Lodge, (now Bowman's Mews), the penultimate of 21 children. Artist and writer of nonsense works, such as The Owl and the Pussycat, and limericks, e.g. There was an old person of Putn...

Person, Art, Literature, Poetry, Seriously Famous, Italy

3 memorials
J.B. Priestley

J.B. Priestley

Novelist, playwright and essayist. Wrote "When we are married" and "An Inspector Calls".

Person, Literature, Theatre

1 memorial
George MacDonald

George MacDonald

Poet, novelist and Christian minister. Born Aberdeenshire. Works include: 'At the Back of the North Wind', 'Lilith'. Influenced: C. S. Lewis, G. K. Chesterton, W. H. Auden, Tolkien. Died at Ashtead...

Person, Literature, Poetry, Religion, Scotland

2 memorials
Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe

Author and poet. Born Edgar Poe in Boston, Massachusetts, he added Allan to his name in honour of the family who took him in after his father absconded and his mother died.  Lived in London from 18...

Person, Literature, Seriously Famous, USA

3 memorials

Previously viewed

G. Ford

G. Ford

Name on one of the main panels of the East Ham WW1 memorial.

Person

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
H. Ford
War dead, WW1
1 memorial