Elizabeth Tollet

Elizabeth Tollet (1694–1754) was a British poet. Her surviving works are varied; she produced translations of classical themes, religious and philosophical poetry and poems arguing for better education for women. Unusually, for a woman of her time, her poetry also includes scientific imagery.[1][2][3]

She was the daughter of George Tollet who, observing her intelligence, gave her a thorough education in languages, history, poetry and mathematics. The Tollets' social circle included Isaac Newton, who also encouraged her to pursue her education.[3][4]

In 1724 she published Poems on Several Occasions, which included her Hypatia, now seen as a feminist protest poem.[4]

On Newton's death in 1727 Tollet produced an elegy, On the Death of Sir Isaac Newton.[1]

She died in 1754 in the village of Westham, Essex (now known as West Ham) and is buried at All Saints church there.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 Fara, Patricia (June 2002). "Elizabeth Tollet: A New Newtonian Woman" (PDF). History of science (Science History Publications Ltd). 40, part 2 (128): 169–187. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 1, 2007. Retrieved 2009-10-18.
  2. Brown, Susan; Clements, Patricia; Grundy, Isobel. "Elizabeth Tollet; Overview screen". The Orlando Project. Retrieved 2009-10-18.
  3. 1 2 3 Londry, Michael (September 2004). Tollet, Elizabeth (1694–1754). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2009-10-17. (library card access). The first edition of this text is available as an article on Wikisource:  "Tollet, Elizabeth". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  4. 1 2 Backscheider, Paula R. (2005). Eighteenth-century women poets and their poetry: inventing agency, inventing genre. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 411. ISBN 0-8018-8169-2.
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