William Empson
English literary critic and poet / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Sir William Empson (27 September 1906 – 15 April 1984) was an English literary critic and poet, widely influential for his practice of closely reading literary works, a practice fundamental to New Criticism. His best-known work is his first, Seven Types of Ambiguity, published in 1930.
English literary critic and poet
William Empson | |
|---|---|
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| Born | (1906-09-27)27 September 1906 |
| Died | 15 April 1984(1984-04-15) (aged 77) London, England |
| Occupation(s) | Literary critic and poet |
| Notable work | Seven Types of Ambiguity (1930) |
| Style | New Criticism |
| Spouse | Hetta Empson |
Jonathan Bate has written[1] that the three greatest English literary critics of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries are Johnson, Hazlitt and Empson, "not least because they are the funniest".