Christopher Smart (11 April, 1722 – 20 May, 1771) was a poet from England who was very popular during his lifetime due to his contributions to widely read magazines.
Fun Facts Friday about Christopher Smart:
- Christopher Smart was born on an estate owned by William, Viscount Vane, called Fairlawne. He was named after Christopher Vane, 1st Baron Barnard, who resided in Fairlawne.
- His father, Peter Smart, was the steward or bailiff (we’re not sure) of Fairlawne. Winifred, his mother, was a Welsh woman and gave birth to two daughters, Maragaret and Mary Anne, before he was born.
- During his college years at Pembroke, which he attended as a “sizar”, meaning he received financial help and had to do menial chores.
- During his time at Pembroke he translated Alexander Pope’s Ode on St. Cecilla’s day which earned him the Craven scholarship of £25 a year for 14 years. He self-published the translation in 1743 to win Pope’s favor and translate his Essay on Many. Pope rejected the idea, but after a meeting he allowed him to translate An Essay on Criticism.
- The college honored Christopher Smart by creating a portrait of him hold a letter from Pope, and asking him to write a poem for Pembroke’s 400th anniversary.
- We know he was married to Anna-Maria Carnan and the couple had two daughters. In order to keep his scholarship from Pembroke though, he had to keep his marriage a secret.
- Mr. Smart was known in London and friend to many men of letters including Henry Fielding and Samuel Johnson.
- His father-in-law, Jhon Newbery, locked him up at St. Luke’s Asylum due to his “religious mania” for several years. Unfortunately, the negative reputation of being in a asylum followed him for the rest of his life, and he died in debtor’s prison.
- Mr. Smart wrote about his time at the asylum under the nom de plum “Mrs. Mary Midnight”. The accounts of his experiences were popular and read by many people.
- Two of Christopher Smart’s most well-known poems, Jubilate Agno and A Song to David, might have been written in the asylum. We’ll never know though, since we have no record of when they were written
Zohar — Man of la Book
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