Lives of the Poets

Samuel Johnson was a well-known literary figure in England. Johnson was an author, lexicographer, biographer and critic. Johnson has been quoted more than any other English author with the exception of Shakespeare. Much of Johnson's fame is attributed to the biography done by Boswell. The biography centers on the latter part of Johnson's life, thus Johnson has been seen more as a gruff society figure than as the struggling and poverty-stricken writer that he was for much of his life. The poets covered in this text are Waller, Milton, and Cowley.