William Force Stead (29 August 1884 – 8 March 1967) was an American diplomat and poet. He became an Anglican clergyman, and
chaplain
A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...
of
Worcester College, Oxford
Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms w ...
, from 1927 to 1930.
He is best known for his editorial work on
Christopher Smart
Christopher Smart (11 April 1722 – 20 May 1771) was an English poet. He was a major contributor to two popular magazines, ''The Midwife'' and ''The Student'', and a friend to influential cultural icons like Samuel Johnson and Henry Fie ...
.
Biography
Stead was born in
Washington, D.C.
)
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, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
and educated at the
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...
. He left the U.S. consular service around 1917 and was a student at
Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, England. The college was founded in 1341 by Robert de Eglesfield in honour of Philippa of Hainault. It is distinguished by its predominantly neoclassical architecture, ...
, publishing verses in ''Oxford poetry''. He was ordained and spent time in Italy, before returning to Oxford and Worcester College as a Fellow.
Stead was a friend of
T. S. Eliot, and close to him at the time of his 1927 religious conversion, baptising him in the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
.
He returned to an academic position in the US in 1939, and died in
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
.
Works
*''Moonflowers'' (1909)
*''Windflowers'' (1911)
*''Holy Innocents'' (1917)
*''Verd Antique'' (1920)
*''The Sweet Miracle'' (1922)
*''Wayfaring'' (1924)
*''Uriel: A Hymn in Praise of Divine Immanence'' (1933)
*''The Poetry of the Bible'' (1938) editor
*''
Rejoice in the Lamb
''Rejoice in the Lamb'' ( Op. 30) is a cantata for four soloists, SATB choir and organ composed by Benjamin Britten in 1943 and uses text from the poem ''Jubilate Agno'' by Christopher Smart (1722–1771). The poem, written while Smart was in ...
: a song from Bedlam by Christopher Smart'' (1939) editor
See also
*
Peter Force
Peter Force (November 26, 1790 – January 23, 1868) was an American politician, newspaper editor, printer, archivist, and early American historian. He was twice elected the twelfth Mayor of Washington D.C. During his lifetime he ama ...
Notes
External links
*
William Force Stead Papers. James Marshall and Marie-Louise Osborn Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stead, W.F.
1884 births
1967 deaths
20th-century American poets
Anglican poets
Fellows of Worcester College, Oxford
Alumni of The Queen's College, Oxford
University of Virginia alumni