Biography John Todhunter

Poet Biography

John Todhunter was born in 1839 in Dublin.
The son of a merchant, he was educated at the Quaker Schools at Mountmellick and York. While a student at Trinity College Medical School, Dublin, Todhunter was clinical clerk to the famous William Stokes; and also won the Vice-chancellor's Prize in English Literature three times. He received the M.B. degree in 1967, and the M.D. degree in 1871, between which accomplishments he became Professor of English Literature at Alexandra College, Dublin. He did further medical study in Europe and was appointed Visiting Physician to Cork Street Fever Hospital; but after the publication and favorable reception of his essay A Theory of the Beautiful in 1872, and because of poor health, he gave up the practice of medicine to concentrate entirely on the writing of essays, poetry, and plays, and translating. He travelled abroad, finally settling in London, where he was involved in the founding of the Irish Literary Society.

Todhunter died at Chiswick, London, 25 October 1916.