Oliver Goldsmith

Oliver Goldsmith (10 November 1730 – 4 April 1774) was a writer, poet, and physician famous for his novel, The Vicar of Wakefield(1776). His first successful literary work was The Traveller (1764), a poem about British rule. Like Jonathan Swift, Goldsmith  society, but he did not use satire like Swift. Goldsmith's greatest poem, The Deserted Village (1770), was a sad poem about how country life was being destroyed by landowners. The same theme is inside The Vicar of Wakefield. Goldsmith's biggest work at that time was a collection of soft-satire essays on English life seen by an imaginary Chinese visitor. He also wrote two plays, The Good Natured Man (1768), and She Stoops to Conquer (1773).(He is also thought to have written the classic children's story, The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes.)

 Life 

It is not known for sure when he was born. Most people now think that he was born in 10 November 1730. He was the second son of Charles Goldsmith, curate of Kilkenny West in West Meath in Ireland. In 1745 he went to Trinity College Dublin. He quickly spent all his money by gambling, which he became  to. After spending some time at the Universities of Edinburgh and Leyden he spent 1755 – 1756 travelling in Europe, where it is said that he lived by playing the flute. Before starting to write he worked in London as a doctor's helper, a doctor, and a school . He died in 1774 and was buried in Temple Church.

 References 

 Other websites 


 Essays by Oliver Goldsmith at Quotidiana.org
 The Deserted Village
 Oliver Goldsmith: A Biography  by Washington Irving from Project Gutenberg
 Goldsmith  (English Men of Letters series) by William Black  from Project Gutenberg
 An Essay on the Theatre; or, A Comparison Between Laughing and Sentimental Comedy
 Goldsmith Hall - student accommodation and lecture theatre, Trinity College, Dublin.
 Information on Goldsmith 
 Oliver Goldsmith Resource 
 Works by Oliver Goldsmith  in e-book version
 The Goldsmith International Literary Festival Info on the Festival held annually in Goldsmith's Home County
 Poems and essays, Oliver Goldsmith, 1839, (William Smith, London)


Category:1730 births
Category:1774 deaths
Category:Irish writers