Person    | Male  Born 27/9/1906  Died 15/4/1984

Sir William Empson

Categories: Poetry

Poet and critic. Born near Goole, Yorkshire. Considered a great English critic, his best-known work is his first publication "Seven Types of Ambiguity" 1930. Married Hetta in 1941 and had two sons, but was probably bisexual and an alcoholic. Spent a lot of his married life away from the London home, in Sheffield where he was chair of English literature at the university. Died at home, Studio House, 1 Hampstead Hill Gardens. (Did you notice how we managed not to mention the beard?)

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Sir William Empson

Commemorated ati

Sir William Empson

Unveiled by Sir Williams’ son, Jake Empson. At no 71 Empson lived in the the...

Read More

Sir William Empson & Lady Hetta Empson

We think this was unveiled in Oct 2015.

Read More

Other Subjects

Andrew Motion

Andrew Motion

Poet Laureate. Born London.

Person, Poetry

2 memorials
Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore

Bengali poet and philosopher. First non-European Nobel Laureate. Born into a large, rich, assimilated family which had made its fortune from the East India Company.  He read law at University Colle...

Person, Poetry, Bengal, India

3 memorials
Robert Burns

Robert Burns

Born Alloway, Ayrshire. Wrote in the Scots language, and also in a Scots dialect which is accessible to English speakers. Also collected traditional songs. Scots the world over celebrate his birth ...

Person, Poetry, Seriously Famous, Scotland

1 memorial
Lemn Sissay

Lemn Sissay

Poet.  Born near Wigan of Ethiopean parentage. Appointed MBE in 2010. Own website.

Person, Poetry

1 memorial
Sir Walter Raleigh

Sir Walter Raleigh

Courtier, explorer, author and puddle-coverer.  Born Devon.  Became a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I and explored Virginia, America, for her, enabling its colonisation.  Briefly imprisoned in the T...

Person, Exploring, Poetry, Politics & Administration, Seriously Famous, USA

3 memorials