Robert Bloomfield

Robert Bloomfield (1766–1823) was an English poet. Born into a poor farming family in Suffolk, he worked as a farm labourer in his early years and later made his living as a shoemaker in London. His long poem The Farmer's Boy: A Rural Poem, published in 1800, was widely popular and made him one of the best-known plebeian "rural poets" in the English literary tradition. His works mostly draw on country life and natural scenery, with plain language and a ballad-like rhythm. Besides The Farmer's Boy, he also wrote Rural Tales, Ballads, and Songs, Wild Flowers; or, Pastoral and Local Poetry, The Banks of Wye: A Poem, May Day with the Muses, and The Bird and Insects' Post Office. Six of his works are included in the collection. Public information on his education and the details of his life is limited.