English Men of Letters: Crabbe

"English Men of Letters: Crabbe" by Alfred Ainger, is a study of poet George Crabbe's life and writings from the start of the 1900's. Beginning with Crabbe's modest upbringing in Aldeburgh, the book follows his difficult times in London and his eventual success as a poet. Ainger discusses themes of social realism and poetry's interaction with human sympathy, as well as Crabbe's influences and fellow writers. The book starts by giving a summary of Crabbe's early years, showing his difficult childhood and growing love for books. It talks about his family's poverty, his schooling, and early goals to become a doctor, which switched to writing. The story creates a clear picture of his upbringing, describing a run-down seaport town, and is about the socio-economic problems Crabbe faced. It emphasizes important influences in his life, like his family's attempts to grow his writing skills and the relationships he made that would help him enter the literary world later on; all this sets the stage for a more detailed look at Crabbe's poetry, especially his depiction of the struggles and truths of impoverished people, placing him in the larger world of 1700's English literature.