Poetry Codex

Victorian

Sir Edwin Arnold

1832–1904

Edwin Arnold (1832–1904) was an English poet, journalist and orientalist. Educated at King's College School, London, and University College, Oxford, he became principal of the Government Sanskrit College at Poona, India, in 1856, and returned to England in 1861.

He then worked for many years on the staff of the Daily Telegraph, serving as its editor-in-chief, and was made a Knight Commander of the Star of India. His verse epic The Light of Asia (1879), a life of the Buddha, was immensely popular in Britain and America and did much to introduce Buddhism to Western readers. He also translated Indian and Persian works and wrote further poems on Eastern themes.

Major Works (2)

  1. The Light of Asia — Epic poem, 1879
  2. The Light of the World — Epic poem, 1891

Poems (22)

  1. To India
  2. The Rajpoot Wife
  3. King Saladin
  4. The Caliph's Draught
  5. Hindoo Funeral Song
  6. Song of the Serpent Charmers
  7. Song of the Flour-Mill
  8. Taza ba Taza
  9. The Mussulman Paradise
  10. Dedication of a Poem from the Sanskrit
  11. The Rajah's Ride
  12. Serenade
  13. A Love Song of Henri Quatre
  14. Where waitest thou
  15. To a Pair of Egyptian Slippers
  16. After Death in Arabia
  17. Raglan
  18. Mahmud and Ayaz
  19. Song without a Sound
  20. The Musmee
  21. Almond Blossom
  22. She and He

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