Joseph Addison

Joseph Addison ( born May 1, 1672 Milston, Wiltshire, † June 17 1719 in Kensington) was an English poet, politician and journalist in the early period of the Enlightenment.

Life

Joseph Addison was the son of Lancelot Addison, Dean of Lichfield Cathedral. After initial schooling in his hometown, he attended Charterhouse School in London. There he became friends with the late writer Sir Richard Steele. Then Addison studied at Oxford University. In 1699 he successfully finished his studies and in the same year he founded with friends in London the Kit -Cat Club.

End of 1699 Addison began his Grand Tour which took him through Italy and France for four years. It was not until 1703 he returned to England. He settled in or near London as a writer. At the same time he applied for political office, which also achieved success with his appointment as Under Secretary of State 1706. Three years later he became the secretary to Lord Wharton and accompanied him to Ireland as governor secretary. Already in 1708 appointed to Addison as a member of Parliament and this he remained until his death.

1707 Addison wrote in response to the standing fashionable Italian opera texts the libretto for an opera called "Pink Moon ", which was first set to music by Thomas Clayton and premiered on March 15, 1707 without success. Addison then wrote the libretto no more - but received a later setting of Thomas Arne in 1733, applause.

Along with Addison Steele founded 1709, the literary and moral weekly magazine " Tatler ", which is one of the first weekly magazines. As in 1711, this ceased their appearance, the two founded the same year " The Spectator ". The first issue was published on March 1, 1711, the last on December 6. As authors, among others, the writer Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift are mentioned. The third newspaper was founded in 1713 "The Guardian" (not to be confused with the 1821 founded and still existing British newspaper "The Guardian" ).

As 1713 Addison Cato published his drama, he inspired so Johann Christoph Gottsched, then in 1732 his tragedy of the dying Cato published. At the age of 47 years Joseph Addison died at Holland House in Kensington. His final resting place he found in Westminster Abbey.

Works

• The Christian poet (1728)
• Cato (1713 )
• The drummer or the haunted -house ( 1716)
• The resurrection (1718 )

Translation

• The Works of Petronius Arbiter ( published posthumously in 1736 )