Elizabeth Thomas
Who was Elizabeth Thomas?
English poet (1675-1731)
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Elizabeth Thomas (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Elizabeth Thomas (1675–1731) was a British poet and letter writer actively involved in London's intellectual and artistic circles during the late 1600s and early 1700s. Born in 1675, she showed a natural talent for writing, which gained her the attention of notable writers of the time. Despite her skills, she often faced financial struggles and personal challenges and fought for recognition in a literary world that offered women few opportunities for advancement.
Thomas was closely linked with John Dryden, a leading poet and critic of the Restoration period, who gave her the nickname 'Corinna,' after the ancient Greek lyric poet. This nickname showed Dryden's high regard for her talents and connected her to a tradition of female poets. She also had a long relationship through letters with the poet and philosopher Henry Crompton, with whom she was romantically involved for many years. They never married, partly due to financial reasons, and Crompton's death left her emotionally and financially vulnerable.
Her work included poetry, prose letters, and other writings that were shared both in manuscript and print. She was part of the polite letters culture in early 18th-century England, where exchanging letters was considered a literary art. Her collected letters and poems were published, highlighting her as a skilled and sometimes sharp writer. However, her reputation was damaged when Alexander Pope, with whom she once had friendly relations, mocked her in his satirical work The Dunciad, calling her 'Curll's Corinna' and linking her with the shady publisher Edmund Curll. Pope's attack partly resulted from her selling his letters to her out of financial need.
In her final years, Thomas faced severe poverty and declining health. She spent about three years in a debtor's prison, which showed both her financial instability and the lack of protection for women of her social standing at the time. She died in 1731, with her last years overshadowed by poverty and public humiliation. Her story highlights the challenges women writers faced in early modern England when trying to support themselves through writing without independent wealth or institutional support.
Before Fame
Elizabeth Thomas was born in 1675 in England to a family of modest means. Not much is detailed about her early years, but she clearly received enough education to develop strong writing skills, suggesting she had access to books or some form of tutoring. Women of her time who wanted to write usually did so without formal education, relying on their own initiative, access to libraries, and the support of established literary figures.
She entered London's literary world through her own efforts and the connections she built over time. Her relationship with John Dryden, formed before he died in 1700, was key in establishing her as a serious poet. Dryden's endorsement of her as 'Corinna' gave her a cultural legitimacy that helped her navigate the competitive and often exclusive world of English literature.
Key Achievements
- Received the honorary title 'Corinna' from John Dryden, one of England's most prominent literary figures
- Published poetry and collected letters that contributed to the tradition of women's writing in early eighteenth-century Britain
- Established herself as a recognized participant in London's leading artistic and intellectual circles
- Maintained a significant body of literary correspondence now valued as a historical record of early modern English literary culture
Did You Know?
- 01.John Dryden gave Thomas the nickname 'Corinna,' after an ancient Greek female poet, as a mark of his personal admiration for her verse.
- 02.Thomas sold private letters written to her by Alexander Pope to the publisher Edmund Curll, an act that provoked Pope's lasting enmity and led to her mockery in The Dunciad.
- 03.She spent roughly three years imprisoned in a debtor's prison near the end of her life, a fate that reflected the financial vulnerability common to women writers of her period.
- 04.Her long romantic attachment to Henry Crompton never resulted in marriage, reportedly due to financial difficulties that persisted throughout their relationship.
- 05.Thomas maintained an extensive literary correspondence that was itself regarded as a form of polished literary production, consistent with the epistolary culture of early eighteenth-century England.