William Diaper
Encyclopedia
William Diaper was an English poet of the Augustan era
. Little is known about his life. He was born in Bridgwater
, Somerset
and attended Balliol College, Oxford
as a pauper, where he took his BA
in 1702. In 1709 he was ordained a deacon at Wells
and became a curate in the parish of Brent, which he describes in disparaging terms in a poem of the same name, calling it "nature's gaol". By 1712, he had made contacts in the London literary world and become a protégé of Jonathan Swift
, who refers to the poet several times in his Journal to Stella. In March 1712, Swift writes:
Thanks to Swift, Bolingbroke
and Sir William Wyndham
took up Diaper's cause and gave him material support. By 1714, Diaper had moved on to Dean
, and there was a contemporary rumor that he was ordained
in 1715. He dedicated Imitation of the Seventeenth Epistle of the First Book of Horace in 1714 to Swift. Swift's friend Alexander Pope
was less impressed by Diaper's poetical abilities, including him in the 1728 version of The Dunciad
(Book II, lines 277-78):
entitled Halieuticks, which was published posthumously in 1722
. He was again desperately ill in 1716, and the circumstances and date of Diaper's death the next year are unknown.
Diaper's most important original work is the Nereides, or Sea-Eclogues (1712), an ingenious attempt to breathe new life into the genre of pastoral
poetry by moving it into the marine world. The speakers of the fourteen dialogues in heroic couplet
s are sea-gods and sea-nymphs. Later the same year, Diaper published Dryades, a topographical poem. Diaper also tried his hand at translation, producing an "imitation" of the seventeenth epistle of the first book of Horace
and a version of part of the fourth book of Quillet's Callipaedia. His major work of translation is a rendering of the first two of the five books of the Halieutica, a didactic poem on sea-fishing by the Greek poet Oppian. Since it appeared posthumously, the remaining three books were translated by John Jones.
By the end of the eighteenth century, Diaper's work had sunk into obscurity. His reputation was revived in the mid-20th century by the poet and critic Geoffrey Grigson
. Diaper's poetry is marked by its unusual sensitivity to nature, particularly the world of sea creatures.
Augustan literature
Augustan literature is a style of English literature produced during the reigns of Queen Anne, King George I, and George II on the 1740s with the deaths of Pope and Swift...
. Little is known about his life. He was born in Bridgwater
Bridgwater
Bridgwater is a market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is the administrative centre of the Sedgemoor district, and a major industrial centre. Bridgwater is located on the major communication routes through South West England...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
and attended Balliol College, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
as a pauper, where he took his BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1702. In 1709 he was ordained a deacon at Wells
Wells
Wells is a cathedral city and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset, England, on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills. Although the population recorded in the 2001 census is 10,406, it has had city status since 1205...
and became a curate in the parish of Brent, which he describes in disparaging terms in a poem of the same name, calling it "nature's gaol". By 1712, he had made contacts in the London literary world and become a protégé of Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift was an Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer , poet and cleric who became Dean of St...
, who refers to the poet several times in his Journal to Stella. In March 1712, Swift writes:
Here is a young fellow has writ some Sea Eclogues, poems of Mermen, resembling pastorals of shepherds, and they are very pretty, and the thought is new. Mermen are he-mermaids; Tritons, natives of the sea. Do you understand me? I think to recommend him to our Society to-morrow. His name is Diaper. P— on him, I must do something for him, and get him out of the way. I hate to have any new wits rise, but when they do rise I would encourage them; but they tread on our heels and thrust us off the stage.In December 1712, he continued his account of Diaper's progress:
This morning I presented one Diaper, a poet, to Lord Bolingbroke, with a new poem, which is a very good one; and I am to give him a sum of money from my lord; and I have contrived to make a parson of him, for he is half one already, being in deacon’s orders, and serves a small cure in the country; but has a sword at his a—— here in town. ’Tis a poor little short wretch, but will do best in a gown, and we will make Lord Keeper give him a living.In another letter, Swift refers to Diaper's being ill:
I was to see a poor poet, one Mr. Diaper, in a nasty garret, very sick. I gave him twenty guineas from Lord Bolingbroke, and disposed the other sixty to two other authors, and desired a friend to receive the hundred pounds for poor Harrison, and will carry it to him to-morrow morning. I sent to see how he did, and he is extremely ill; and I very much afflicted for him, for he is my own creature, and in a very honourable post, and very worthy of it. I dined in the City. I am in much concern for this poor lad. His mother and sister attend him, and he wants nothing.
Thanks to Swift, Bolingbroke
Henry St. John
Henry St. John is the name of:*Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke , English politician and philosopher*Henry St. John , U.S. Representative from OhioHenry St...
and Sir William Wyndham
William Wyndham
William Wyndham may refer to:*Sir William Wyndham, 1st Baronet , of Orchard Wyndham, English politician, Member of Parliament for Somerset, 1656–1658 and for Taunton 1660–1679...
took up Diaper's cause and gave him material support. By 1714, Diaper had moved on to Dean
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
, and there was a contemporary rumor that he was ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
in 1715. He dedicated Imitation of the Seventeenth Epistle of the First Book of Horace in 1714 to Swift. Swift's friend Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope was an 18th-century English poet, best known for his satirical verse and for his translation of Homer. He is the third-most frequently quoted writer in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, after Shakespeare and Tennyson...
was less impressed by Diaper's poetical abilities, including him in the 1728 version of The Dunciad
The Dunciad
The Dunciad is a landmark literary satire by Alexander Pope published in three different versions at different times. The first version was published in 1728 anonymously. The second version, the Dunciad Variorum was published anonymously in 1729. The New Dunciad, in four books and with a...
(Book II, lines 277-78):
Far worse unhappy Diaper succeeds,His last major work was a translation of Oppian
He searched for coral, but he gather'd weeds.
Oppian
Oppian or Oppianus was the name of the authors of two didactic poems in Greek hexameters, formerly identified, but now generally regarded as two different persons: Oppian of Corycus in Cilicia; and Oppian of Apamea in Syria.-Oppian of Corycus:Oppian of Corycus in Cilicia, who flourished in the...
entitled Halieuticks, which was published posthumously in 1722
1722 in literature
The year 1722 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Voltaire and Jean-Baptiste Rousseau meet and quarrel at Brussels.* Ten-year-old Jean-Jacques Rousseau is abandoned by his father, Isaac....
. He was again desperately ill in 1716, and the circumstances and date of Diaper's death the next year are unknown.
Diaper's most important original work is the Nereides, or Sea-Eclogues (1712), an ingenious attempt to breathe new life into the genre of pastoral
Pastoral
The adjective pastoral refers to the lifestyle of pastoralists, such as shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasturage. It also refers to a genre in literature, art or music that depicts such shepherd life in an...
poetry by moving it into the marine world. The speakers of the fourteen dialogues in heroic couplet
Heroic couplet
A heroic couplet is a traditional form for English poetry, commonly used for epic and narrative poetry; it refers to poems constructed from a sequence of rhyming pairs of iambic pentameter lines. The rhyme is always masculine. Use of the heroic couplet was first pioneered by Geoffrey Chaucer in...
s are sea-gods and sea-nymphs. Later the same year, Diaper published Dryades, a topographical poem. Diaper also tried his hand at translation, producing an "imitation" of the seventeenth epistle of the first book of Horace
Horace
Quintus Horatius Flaccus , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:...
and a version of part of the fourth book of Quillet's Callipaedia. His major work of translation is a rendering of the first two of the five books of the Halieutica, a didactic poem on sea-fishing by the Greek poet Oppian. Since it appeared posthumously, the remaining three books were translated by John Jones.
By the end of the eighteenth century, Diaper's work had sunk into obscurity. His reputation was revived in the mid-20th century by the poet and critic Geoffrey Grigson
Geoffrey Grigson
Geoffrey Edward Harvey Grigson was a British writer. He was born in Pelynt, a village near Looe in Cornwall.-Life:...
. Diaper's poetry is marked by its unusual sensitivity to nature, particularly the world of sea creatures.