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Alfred Austin (1835–1913)

Alfred Austin (1835–1913) was a writer and poet. He wrote for many years for the Conservative paper The Standard, and held the position of Poet Laureate from 1896 until his death in 1913.

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Alfred Austin first began writing poetry seriously in 1860, and until 1898 he worked for the Conservative newspaper the Standard, and several other journals.

He was appointed Poet Laureate through the influence of the Prime Minister Lord Salisbury. While he has frequently been derided as a mere ‘poetaster’, his works reveal a genuine and deeply felt love of nature.