Thomas Chatterton: An Incredible English Poet Who Committed Suicide

Thomas Chatterton was born on 28th November 1752 in Bristol and was an English poet. His father’s name was Thomas Chatterton, who was an amazing poet, musician, and numismatist. He got admission to Edward Colston’s Charity that was a British charity school. Here, the curriculum was restricted only up to writing, reading, catechism, and arithmetic. He was raised in poverty, and his father died after few days after his birth. Despite these problems, he was an academic student.

His Literary Works

The dialogue of Elinoure and Juga is one of his first literary mysteries. Thomas wrote this before he turned 12 and showed it to Thomas Philips. For more than six years, he remained a boarder at Colston’s Hospital.

Chatterton spent his pocket money on books that he borrowed from a library. Once, he went through an anthology of verse whose writer was Elizabeth Cooper. It can be regarded as a significant source for all his inventions.

Political Writings of Chatterton

His attention turned to politics and its literature. He exchanged many journals and magazines like Farley’s Bristol Journal for the Town and Country Magazine. His pen was against the Earl of Bute, Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, and Duke of Grafton.

His Death

Thomas Chatterton died on 24th August 1770. His talent ended at just 17 years of age when he suicided. On that particular day, he retired for the last time to his attic in Brook Street, carrying with him the arsenic. He drank that after tearing into fragments whatever literary remains were at hand. He was just 17 years and nine months old. Moreover, some people believe that Chatterton may have taken arsenic as a treatment for a venereal disease as it was commonly in use for such at that time.

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