Biography of William Allingham: The Life and Legacy of the Irish Poet

Discover the biography of William Allingham, the Irish poet born on March 19, 1824, in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland. Known for his lyrical poetry and connections with literary figures like Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Alfred Tennyson, Allingham also served as a civil servant and editor. He passed away on November 18, 1889, at Eldon House, Lyndhurst Road, London.

Back to: Poets and Poetry Page

Biography of William Allingham

William Allingham, an Irish poet and civil servant, was born on March 19, 1824, in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland. He spent his life immersed in literature and public service before passing away on November 18, 1889, at Eldon House on Lyndhurst Road in London.

Early Life and Background

William Allingham was an Irish poet and civil servant, born into a family with a strong mercantile background. His father worked as a shipping merchant, and he was the eldest of five siblings. His early years were marked by the loss of his mother when he was just nine years old.

Career and Literary Connections

At the age of fourteen, Allingham began working at a bank but later transitioned into a role at the Customs Office in 1846. During his early career, he visited London in 1847, where he met poet Leigh Hunt, and two years later, he formed an acquaintance with Coventry Patmore. His first poetry collection, published in 1850, was dedicated to Hunt.

Between 1850 and 1853, he became closely associated with literary figures such as Thomas Carlyle, Alfred Tennyson, and members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, including Dante Gabriel Rossetti. He maintained a lifelong correspondence with Rossetti and Henry Sutton, a young poet and journalist from Nottingham.

Allingham’s poetic style was deeply influenced by the Border Ballads tradition, and he shared literary sensibilities with figures like Rossetti and William Morris. His notable work Day and Night Songs (1855) featured illustrations by Rossetti, John Everett Millais, and Arthur Hughes, with engravings by the Dalziel brothers. Later, he published Fifty Modern Poems (1865) and a collection titled Songs, Ballads, and Stories (1877).

Editorial Career and Later Life

In 1870, with the support of Thomas Carlyle, Allingham was appointed sub-editor of Fraser’s Magazine. By 1874, he had succeeded historian J.A. Froude as the magazine’s editor, a role he held for five years. Throughout his career, he fostered friendships with notable artists and writers such as Edward Burne-Jones, Charles Dickens, and the Brownings.

In 1874, he married Helen Paterson, a talented watercolour artist, with whom he spent the later years of his life.

Legacy and Works

William Allingham’s contributions to literature continue to be recognized, particularly through his poetry and his connections with major literary and artistic figures of the 19th century. His letters and diaries, edited and published posthumously, offer insight into his friendships and literary engagements.

Key Publications:

Letters of Dante Gabriel Rossetti to William Allingham 1854-1870 (1897) – Edited by George Birkbeck Hill
William Allingham: A Diary (1907) – Edited by Helen Allingham and D. Radford
Letters to William Allingham (1911) – Edited by Helen Allingham and E. Baumer Williams

Poems by William Allingham

A Day-Dream’s Reflection
A Dream
A Gravestone
A Memory
A Seed
A Singer
Abbey Assaroe
Adieu to Belshanny
Aeolian Harp
After Sunset
Amy Margaret’s Five Year Old
An Evening
Autumnal Sonnet
Down on the Shore
Half-waking
In a Spring Grove
In Snow
Late Autumn
Lepracaun or Fairy Shoemaker, The
The Little Dell
Meadowsweet
On a Forenoon of Spring
Places and Men
Robin Redbreast
The Boy
The Eviction
The Fairies
These Little Songs
The Touchstone
Wayside Flowers
Writing

Quotes by William Allingham

“A man who keeps a diary pays, Due toll to many tedious days; But life becomes eventful – then, His busy hand forgets the pen. Most books, indeed, are records less Of fulness than of emptiness.”

“Autumn’s the mellow time.”

“I have been an “Official” all my life, without the least turn for it. I never could attain a true official manner, which is highly artificial and handles trifles with ludicrously disproportionate gravity.”