Narrative

Thomas Campbell

8. Thomas Campbell was born July 27, 1977 in Glasgow, Scotland. Although primarily remembered for his poetry, Campbell was also an accomplished biographer, prose writer, editor, and literary critic. He also gained prominence as a composer of patriotic songs, such as The Soldier’s Dream and Ye Mariners of England (1800). After being educated at Glasgow University, Campbell moved to Edinburgh where he published poems such as Battle of the Baltic (1801) and The Pleasures of Hope (1799), which enjoyed four re-editions in the twelve months following its publication. The Pleasures of Hope is now widely regarded as Campbell’s most important poetic work. While traveling abroad to Germany, Munich, Hamburg, and Leipzig in 1800, Campbell began composing numerous lyrical works, including The Exile of Erin, Hohenlinden and Lochiel’s Warning, which were published upon his return to Edinburgh in 1801. Following his marriage to Matilda Sinclair in 1803, the couple moved to London where Campbell worked as a lecturer, editor, and writer.