100 Heroes: A. E. Housman
The gay man who became a major English poet.
Alfred Edward Housman was an English classical scholar and poet.
He is regarded as one of the foremost classicists of his age and one of the greatest classical scholars.
In 1896, Housman published A Shropshire Lad, a cycle of poems marked by the author's pessimism and preoccupation with early death, which gradually acquired a wide readership and appealed particularly to a younger audience during World War I. Another collection, entitled Last Poems, appeared in 1922. Housman's poetry became popular for musical settings.
Early life
Born in Worcestershire in 1859, Housman won an academic scholarship to study at Oxford.
Sexuality
At Oxford, Housman met Moses John Jackson - his roommate.
After completing his studies, Jackson moved to London to work. Housman followed him and the two lived together.
In 1885, their friendship ended when Housman declared his feelings for Jackson and Jackson told him that he couldn't reciprocate those feelings.
Housman's poetry appears to openly address his feelings for men - particularly his unrequited love for Jackson.
Personal life
Housman died in 1936, aged 77.
