James Thomson (23 November 1834 – 3 June 1882), who wrote under the pen name Bysshe Vanolis, was a Scottish journalist, poet, and translator. He is most often remembered for The City of Dreadful Night (1874; 1880), a poetic allegory of urban suffering and despair. Thomson's pen name derives from the names of the poets Shelley and Novalis, both strong influences on him as a writer.[1] Thomson's essays were written mainly for National Reformer, Secular Review, and Cope's Tobacco Plant. His longer poems include "The Doom of a City" (1854), "Vane's Story" (1865), and the Orientalist ballad "Weddah and Om-El-Bonain". He admired and translated the works of the Italian poet Giacomo Leopardi and Heinrich Heine.[2] In the title of his biography of Thomson, Bertram Dobell dubbed him "the Laureate of Pessimism".[3][4][5]
James Thomson
Thomson in 1860
Born
(1834-11-23)23 November 1834 Port Glasgow, Scotland
Thomson was born in Port Glasgow, Scotland, and, at the age of eight (after his sister died and his father suffered a stroke), he was sent to London where he was raised in an orphanage, the Royal Caledonian Asylum on Chalk Road (later Caledonian Road after the asylum) near Holloway. At around this time, his mother died.
More than a decade later, Thomson quit the military and related to London, where he worked as a clerk. He remained in communication with Bradlaugh, who was by now issuing his own weekly National Reformer, a "publication for the working man". For the remaining 19 years of his life, starting in 1863, Thomson submitted stories, essays and poems to the National Reformer and other periodicals.
Portrait, taken in 1869
Thomson's most famous literary work, the poem The City of Dreadful Night, was composed from January 1870 to October 1873.[7] It was first published in serial form in the National Reformer in the spring of 1874. The poem was reprinted in The City of Dreadful Night and Other Poems (1880) and elicited encouraging and complimentary reviews from a number of critics.
Thomson died in London at the age of 47, from a broken blood vessel in his bowel,[8][9] and was buried in the east side of Highgate Cemetery in the grave of his friend, the freethinker, Austin Holyoake. The inscription on his grave states that he was born in 1831, not 1834.
In 1889, seven years after Thomson's death, Henry Stephens Salt published the first biography of Thomson, with a selection of writings, The Life of James Thomson ("B.V.").[1] In 1910, Bertram Dobell published a second biography, The Laureate of Pessimism: a Sketch of the Life of James Thomson.[5] In 1993, Tom Leonard's biographical study Places of the Mind: The Life and Work of James Thomson ('B. V.') of Thomson was published by the London publisher Jonathan Cape.[10] In recent years, Thomson's poems have rarely been anthologised, although the autobiographical "Insomnia" and "Sunday at Hampstead" have been well-regarded and include some striking passages.
The Poetical Works of James Thomson: The City of Dreadful Night, Vane's story, Weddah & Om-el-Bonain, Voice from the Nile & Poetical Remains, Vol. I / Vol. II (1895; edited, with memoir, by Bertram Dobell)
Poems and Some Letters Ed. Anne Ridler. London: Centaur Press, 1963.[11]
Novalis and the Poets of Pessimism: With an English Translation by James Thomson ("B.V.") of Hymns to Night, edited by Simon Reynolds, Norwich, Norfolk: Michael Russell, 1995.
The Complete Poems. Ed. A. J. Spatz. Arlington, VA: Charles & Wonder, 2012.
The City of Dreadful Night and Other Writings. Seattle: Sublunary Editions, 2022.
References
^ ab"James Thomson ('B.V.')". Henry S. Salt Society. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
^Byron, Kenneth Hugh (2015). The Pessimism of James Thomson (B. V.) in Relation to His Times. Walter de Gruyter. p. 106. ISBN978-3-11-165603-8.
^Moore, Bryan L. (2017). Ecological Literature and the Critique of Anthropocentrism. 107: Springer. ISBN978-3-319-60738-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
^ abMiller, John (2017), Mazzeno, Laurence W.; Morrison, Ronald D. (eds.), "Creatures on the "Night-Side of Nature": James Thomson's Melancholy Ethics", Animals in Victorian Literature and Culture: Contexts for Criticism, Palgrave Studies in Animals and Literature, London: Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 189–211, doi:10.1057/978-1-137-60219-0_10, ISBN978-1-137-60219-0
^American Heritage Dictionary (2004). The Riverside Dictionary of Biography. Houghton Mifflin Reference Books. p. 785. ISBN978-0-618-49337-1.
^Schaefer, William David (1965). James Thomson, B.V., beyond "The city." --. Internet Archive. Berkeley : University of California Press.
^Imlah, Mick (14 February 1993). "BOOK REVIEW / Sad days in the City of Dreadful Night: 'Places of the Mind: The Life and Work of James Thomson ('B V') – Tom Leonard: Cape, 25 pounds". The Independent. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
^Saintsbury, George (1906). A History of Nineteenth Century Literature (1780–1895). London: The Macmillan Company. p. 297.
^Leonard, Tom (1993). Places of the Mind: Life and Work of James Thomson. Cape. ISBN978-0-224-03118-9. OCLC 953042819.
^Thomson, James (1963). Poems and Some Letters. Southern Illinois University Press.
Works by James Thomson at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
May 11, 2023
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For the 18th century poet of the same name see James Thomson poet born 1700 For the weaver poet of the same name see James Thomson weaver poet For other people with the same name see James Thomson James Thomson 23 November 1834 3 June 1882 who wrote under the pen name Bysshe Vanolis was a Scottish journalist poet and translator He is most often remembered for The City of Dreadful Night 1874 1880 a poetic allegory of urban suffering and despair Thomson s pen name derives from the names of the poets Shelley and Novalis both strong influences on him as a writer 1 Thomson s essays were written mainly for National Reformer Secular Review and Cope s Tobacco Plant His longer poems include The Doom of a City 1854 Vane s Story 1865 and the Orientalist ballad Weddah and Om El Bonain He admired and translated the works of the Italian poet Giacomo Leopardi and Heinrich Heine 2 In the title of his biography of Thomson Bertram Dobell dubbed him the Laureate of Pessimism 3 4 5 James ThomsonThomson in 1860Born 1834 11 23 23 November 1834Port Glasgow ScotlandDied3 June 1882 1882 06 03 aged 47 London EnglandPen nameBysshe VanolisEducationRoyal Military AsylumPeriod1863 1882Notable worksThe City of Dreadful NightSignature Contents 1 Life 2 Legacy 3 Selected publications 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksLife Edit Sketch portrait of Thomson Thomson was born in Port Glasgow Scotland and at the age of eight after his sister died and his father suffered a stroke he was sent to London where he was raised in an orphanage the Royal Caledonian Asylum on Chalk Road later Caledonian Road after the asylum near Holloway At around this time his mother died He was trained as an army schoolmaster at the Royal Military Asylum in Chelsea and served in Ireland where in 1851 at the age of 17 he made the acquaintance of 18 year old Charles Bradlaugh who was already known as a freethinker having published his first atheist pamphlet a year earlier 6 James Thomson photo portrait c 1881 More than a decade later Thomson quit the military and related to London where he worked as a clerk He remained in communication with Bradlaugh who was by now issuing his own weekly National Reformer a publication for the working man For the remaining 19 years of his life starting in 1863 Thomson submitted stories essays and poems to the National Reformer and other periodicals Portrait taken in 1869 Thomson s most famous literary work the poem The City of Dreadful Night was composed from January 1870 to October 1873 7 It was first published in serial form in the National Reformer in the spring of 1874 The poem was reprinted in The City of Dreadful Night and Other Poems 1880 and elicited encouraging and complimentary reviews from a number of critics Thomson died in London at the age of 47 from a broken blood vessel in his bowel 8 9 and was buried in the east side of Highgate Cemetery in the grave of his friend the freethinker Austin Holyoake The inscription on his grave states that he was born in 1831 not 1834 Thomson s grave in Highgate CemeteryLegacy EditIn 1889 seven years after Thomson s death Henry Stephens Salt published the first biography of Thomson with a selection of writings The Life of James Thomson B V 1 In 1910 Bertram Dobell published a second biography The Laureate of Pessimism a Sketch of the Life of James Thomson 5 In 1993 Tom Leonard s biographical study Places of the Mind The Life and Work of James Thomson B V of Thomson was published by the London publisher Jonathan Cape 10 In recent years Thomson s poems have rarely been anthologised although the autobiographical Insomnia and Sunday at Hampstead have been well regarded and include some striking passages Selected publications EditThe City of Dreadful Night and Other Poems 1880 Vane s Story Weddah and Om el Bonain and Other Poems 1881 Essays and Phantasies 1881 Satires and Profanities 1884 with preface by George William Foote A Voice from the Nile and Other Poems 1884 with memoir by Bertram Dobell Shelley a Poem With Other Writings Relating to Shelley to Which Is Added An Essay on the Poems of William Blake 1884 with preface by Bertram Dobell Selections from Original Contributions by James Thomson to Cope s Tobacco Plant 1889 with preface by Walter Lewin Poems Essays and Fragments 1892 edited with preface by J M Robertson The Poetical Works of James Thomson The City of Dreadful Night Vane s story Weddah amp Om el Bonain Voice from the Nile amp Poetical Remains Vol I Vol II 1895 edited with memoir by Bertram Dobell Biographical and Critical Studies 1896 with preface by Bertram Dobell Walt Whitman The Man and the Poet 1910 with introduction by Bertram Dobell Poems and Some Letters Ed Anne Ridler London Centaur Press 1963 11 Novalis and the Poets of Pessimism With an English Translation by James Thomson B V of Hymns to Night edited by Simon Reynolds Norwich Norfolk Michael Russell 1995 The Complete Poems Ed A J Spatz Arlington VA Charles amp Wonder 2012 The City of Dreadful Night and Other Writings Seattle Sublunary Editions 2022 References Edit a b James Thomson B V Henry S Salt Society Retrieved 22 May 2020 Byron Kenneth Hugh 2015 The Pessimism of James Thomson B V in Relation to His Times Walter de Gruyter p 106 ISBN 978 3 11 165603 8 Tikkanen Amy James Thomson Scottish poet 1834 1882 Encyclopedia Britannica Retrieved 22 May 2020 Moore Bryan L 2017 Ecological Literature and the Critique of Anthropocentrism 107 Springer ISBN 978 3 319 60738 2 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location link a b Miller John 2017 Mazzeno Laurence W Morrison Ronald D eds Creatures on the Night Side of Nature James Thomson s Melancholy Ethics Animals in Victorian Literature and Culture Contexts for Criticism Palgrave Studies in Animals and Literature London Palgrave Macmillan UK pp 189 211 doi 10 1057 978 1 137 60219 0 10 ISBN 978 1 137 60219 0 American Heritage Dictionary 2004 The Riverside Dictionary of Biography Houghton Mifflin Reference Books p 785 ISBN 978 0 618 49337 1 Schaefer William David 1965 James Thomson B V beyond The city Internet Archive Berkeley University of California Press Imlah Mick 14 February 1993 BOOK REVIEW Sad days in the City of Dreadful Night Places of the Mind The Life and Work of James Thomson B V Tom Leonard Cape 25 pounds The Independent Retrieved 22 May 2020 Saintsbury George 1906 A History of Nineteenth Century Literature 1780 1895 London The Macmillan Company p 297 Leonard Tom 1993 Places of the Mind Life and Work of James Thomson Cape ISBN 978 0 224 03118 9 OCLC 953042819 Thomson James 1963 Poems and Some Letters Southern Illinois University Press Attribution This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Thomson James 1834 1882 Dictionary of National Biography London Smith Elder amp Co 1885 1900 Further reading EditDobell Bertram 1910 The Laureate of Pessimism A Sketch of the Life and Character of James Thomson BV London Bertram Dobell Salt Henry S 1914 The Life of James Thomson B V PDF revised ed London Watts amp Co Schaefer William David 1965 James Thomson B V Beyond The City Berkeley University of California Press Leonard Tom 1993 Places of the Mind Life and Work of James Thomson London Jonathan Cape ISBN 978 0 224 03118 9 Leonard Tom James Thomson BV The City of Dreadful Night Archived from the original on 6 September 2009 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to James Thomson B V Wikiquote has quotations related to James Thomson B V Wikisource has original works by or about James Thomson The James Thomson Poetry Works Works by James Thomson at Project Gutenberg Works by or about James Thomson at Internet Archive Works by James Thomson at LibriVox public domain audiobooks Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title James Thomson poet born 1834 amp oldid 1144097624, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
