Crabbe, George

Crabbe, George,1754–1832, English poet, b. Aldeburgh, Suffolk. After practicing medicine for a short time, he went to London in 1780, hoping to earn money by his writing. He was befriended by Edmund Burke, whose generous assistance aided in the publication ofThe Library(1781). He took orders in 1781 and held various livings, becoming rector at Trowbridge in 1814.The Village(1783), his most famous work, is a grim picture of rustic life, written partly in reply to Goldsmith's nostalgicDeserted Village.His bleak, realistic descriptions of life led Byron to call himnature's sternest painter, yet the best.His other works includeThe Parish Register(1807),The Borough(1810),Tales(1812), andTales of the Hall(1819).

See biographies by his son (ed. by E. M. Forster, 1932; repr. 1949) and R. L. Chamberlain (1965); studies by A. Pollard (1972) and B. Nelson (1976).

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