Ernest Dowson

Portrait of Ernest Dowson
Ernest Dowson 1867–1900
1867Born

Ernest Christopher Dowson (2 August 1867-23 February 1900), English poet, born at Lee south-east of London. He died in London.

He was a member of the Rhymer's Club, which included W. B. Yeats and Lionel Johnson. In 1891 Dowson fell in love with the 12-year-old daughter of a Polish restaurant owner. Dowson died of alcoholism (or some say of tuberculosis) in 1900 at the early age of 33.

His best known poem is Non Sum Qualis eram Bonae Sub Regno Cynarae.

Read the full biography

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License and uses material adapted in whole or in part from the Wikipedia article on Ernest Dowson.

From readers

What readers say about Ernest Dowson

  1. On Vitae Summa Brevis Spem Nos Vetat Incohare Longam

    “we've discussed this great poem in class not long ago.through this poem DOWSON is telleng to us,young people that we better make a good use of our"days of wine an roses",which is refferred to the days of our youth,'cause according to him(dowson),they might be,in fact there is no tomorrow".these 2…”

  2. On In Tempore Senectutis

    “I had never heard of Dowson, til a cryptic allusion in Saul Bellow's "Mr. Sammler's Planet" spoke of "fidelity in Cynara-Dowson fashion". A few Googles later, and I discovered Ernest Dowson and his romantic/tragic poetry. Now I've put Bellow aside for a few minutes to immerse myself in Dowson. It's…”

Where readers gather

Most discussed

  1. Amor Profanus2 comments
  2. Vitae Summa Brevis Spem Nos Vetat Incohare Longam2 comments
  3. What Is Love?2 comments
  4. In Tempore Senectutis1 comment
  5. The Moon Maiden's Song1 comment

All 14 poems

Poems · 14