Goldsmith, Oliver

Person

Goldsmith, Oliver

1794-1861

Oliver Goldsmith is remembered primarily as Canada's first native-born English-speaking poet. He was born in St. Andrew's, New Brunswick to Loyalist parents. He was grand nephew of the Anglo-Irish poet, playwright and novelist, Oliver Goldsmith. At a young age the family moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia. In 1810 he entered the commissariat department of the British army; he spent most of the remainder of his life in that department, becoming eventually deputy commissary general. In connection with his duties he spent some time in England, Hong Kong, and Corfu, but his base was usually in the Atlantic Provinces.
Goldsmith's literary career began in 1822, when he joined an amateur theater group in Halifax and tried his hand at writing an opening address. The address was rejected, but, as Goldsmith puts it in his Autobiography: "Encouraged by some friends I wrote a poem called The Rising Village." "The Rising Village" has been hailed as a great document of pioneer life. As a poem, it follows "The Deserted Village" in meter and general structure, a poem written by his grand uncle, Oliver Goldsmith. He died in England on June 23rd, 1861.

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