George Crabbe

George Crabbe (born Aldeburgh, Suffolk, 24 December 1754; died Trowbridge, Wiltshire, 3 February 1832) was an English poet and naturalist. His poem The Borough which describes life in a small town in Suffolk, inspired Benjamin Britten to compose his opera Peter Grimes.

Life
George Crabbe was born in Aldeburgh, Suffolk. His father was a tax collector. As a child he loved poetry. In 1768, he was apprenticed to a local doctor, but he did not learn much from him. In 1771, he changed masters and moved to Woodbridge. There he met Sarah Elmy, who was to become his wife. She had the patience to wait until he had finished his medical studies before marrying him. She encouraged him in his verse writing. In 1775, he published his first work: Inebriety. In 1780, he decided to give up being a doctor. He borrowed some money and went to London, where he tried to become known as a poet. It took several years, during which time he became a clergyman. He became chaplain to the Duke of Rutland at Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire.

Crabbe became well-known when he wrote a poem called The Village (1783). It was a long poem which described life in the country as he had known it. In 1783, he married Sarah. In 1814, he became Rector of Trowbridge in Wiltshire, where he stayed. Now that he had a family he did not feel any more need to write poetry and so he wrote nothing for 22 years.The New Encyclopaedia Britannica vol 3  (1986) He then wrote more poems about the village community, including The Borough (1810). By the time of his death, he was well known and a friend of William Wordsworth, Sir Walter Scott and other important literary figures of the time.

Crabbe also knew a lot about insects and made a detailed study of beetles.

Use in 20th century opera
Like George Crabbe, the composer Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) also came from Aldeburgh. When he was in America during World War II he read Crabbe's poem The Borough. It made him homesick and he decided to return to England. He wrote an opera Peter Grimes which was based on Crabbe's poem. It is one of the greatest operas of the 20th century.

References

Category:1754 births
Category:1832 deaths
Category:English poets
Category:English naturalists
Category:Writers from Suffolk