Edward FitzGerald

Edward FitzGerald (1809–1883) was a British writer and poet, born on 31 March 1809 in Suffolk and died on 14 June 1883 in Norfolk. A graduate of Trinity College, Cambridge, he lived a retiring life devoted to reading, letter-writing and literary translation. He is best known for his free rendering of the Rubaiyat of the Persian poet Omar Khayyam, a version that prizes rhythm and atmosphere over literal fidelity and has become a classic of English literature. His letters are likewise admired for their clear, natural and companionable prose, as shown by the two volumes of his Letters and his correspondence with Fanny Kemble held in this collection. His work thus centres on poetic translation and private letters, written in a restrained, unhurried style that has influenced later English poetry and translation practice.