{\b Ernest C. Dowson}.

{\b Date of Birth}.: 2 August 1867

{\b Date of Death}.: 23 February 1900

{\b Works}.

Dilemas  (1895), Verses  (1896), Decorations in Verse and Prose  (1899). 
Collection of his poems in The Poetical Works  edited by Desmond Flower (1934).

{\b Featured Works}.

'Dregs', 'Villanelle of the Poet's Road', 'Cease Smiling Dear! A Little While 
Be Sad', 'Extreme Unction', 'Yvonne of Brittany', 'To a Lady Asking Foolish 
Questions', 'In a Breton Cemetery', 'Villanelle of Acheron', 'The Three 
Witches', 'Saint Germain-En-Laye', 'The Dead Child', 'In Tempore Senectutis', 
'O Mors! Quam Amara est Memoria', 'Flos Lunae', 'The Garden of Shadow', 'Non 
Sum Qualis Eram Bonae Sub Regno Cynarae', 'To One in Bedlam', 'Vitae Summa 
Brevis Spem Nos Vetat Incohare Longam', 'A Comedy of Masks'.

{\b General Comment}.

Ernest C. Dowson, poet, was born in Kent. He received some of his education in 
France, and in 1866 entered Queen's College, Oxford. Having read considerably 
and widely, Dowson left without obtaining a degree. He went to London where he 
joined the literary circle of Aubrey Beardsley, Oscar Wilde, and their 
friends. He was also one of the Rhymers' Club and contributed to The Books of 
the Rhymers' Club  (1892 and 1894), The Yellow Book  and The Savoy. In 1891 he 
met 'Missie' Adelaide Foltinowicz, a twelve-year-old who later became a key 
image of innocence and lost love in his poetry. 

In September 1891 he converted to Roman Catholicism, which is reflected in his 
devotional poetry, such as 'Nuns of the Perpetual Adoration' and 
'Carthusians'. These were his most successful poems.  His father died in 1894 
having suffered from advanced tuberculosis. Within months of his death, 
Dowson's mother hanged herself. A number of stories called Dilemas  appeared 
in 1895. After this, Dowson travelled between London, France and Ireland, 
drinking heavily. He published the first of his two books of poetry, Verses, 
in 1896, which included the acclaimed 'Non Sum Qualis Eram' or 'Cynara', and 
the second, Decorations in Verse and Prose  in 1899. His one-act verse play, 
The Pierrot of the Minute  came out in 1897. In addition, he translated 
Voltaire, Zola and Balzac. Amongst his verse which celebrates nature is 
'Breton Afternoon', and the poems representing weariness and the monotony of 
life include 'Vitae Summa Brevis' and 'To One in Bedlam'.