Helen Gardner
Encyclopedia
Professor Dame Helen Louise Gardner DBE (13 February 1908–4 June 1986) was an English
literary critic and academic. She was best known for her work on the poets John Donne
and T. S. Eliot
.
in Middlesex
in 1908, the middle child and only daughter of the journalist Charles Gardner and his wife, also named Helen. She was eleven when her father died and the family thereafter made their home with her grandparents. Mrs Gardner, a very musical woman, was highly ambitious for her gifted daughter, who demonstrated artistic talent from an early age. Gardner's early education was at the North London Collegiate School
. In 1926 she went to St Hilda's College, Oxford
, and in 1929 obtained a first-class honours degree in English language and literature: in 1935 she became M.A. (University of Oxford).
, where she held a temporary post. After three years as an assistant lecturer at Royal Holloway College in London, she returned to Birmingham, as a member of the English department (1934–41).
She became a tutor at Oxford in 1941 and was a fellow of St Hilda's College, Oxford from 1942. In 1966, she became Merton Professor
of English literature
in the University of Oxford
, the first woman to hold this chair. Her specialist areas were T. S. Eliot
, the Metaphysical poets
, Milton
and religious poetry, with many essays published on these subjects, as well as on literary criticism itself. She edited The New Oxford Book of English Verse, 1250-1950 (1972) and The Metaphysical Poets. She retired from the chair in 1975.
Her 1949 collection of essays, The Art of T. S. Eliot, is regarded a seminal work on the poet. In particular, she challenged the notion that Eliot was only accessible to those well-versed in his many allusions:
She revisited Eliot's work in 1978 with her study of The Composition of Four Quartets
, published by Faber and Faber
.
Gardner was also the editor of an influential and authoritative edition of Donne's poetry in 1952 entitled "John Donne: the Divine Poems" in which she revises and corrects many disputed parts of the text (punctuation and word choice variants found in the various manuscripts and editions of Donne's poetry). Those editions include both the 1633 and 1635 editions of his collected works, the earlier editorial work of Herbert Grierson, and the manuscripts on which these works were based. This work was further revised and republished in 1978.
Gardner also compiled The Faber Book of Religious Verse (1972) and The New Oxford Book of English Verse (1972).
Her work met with great acclaim, and she was awarded the CBE in 1962 and a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire
in 1967. She was also granted honorary degrees from Cambridge, London
, Harvard
, and Yale
universities. She died in Bicester
in 1986.
in 1960. The character of E. M. Ashford in Margaret Edson's Wit
is based on Helen Gardner.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
literary critic and academic. She was best known for her work on the poets John Donne
John Donne
John Donne 31 March 1631), English poet, satirist, lawyer, and priest, is now considered the preeminent representative of the metaphysical poets. His works are notable for their strong and sensual style and include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs,...
and T. S. Eliot
T. S. Eliot
Thomas Stearns "T. S." Eliot OM was a playwright, literary critic, and arguably the most important English-language poet of the 20th century. Although he was born an American he moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 and was naturalised as a British subject in 1927 at age 39.The poem that made his...
.
Early life and education
Helen Gardner was born in FinchleyFinchley
Finchley is a district in Barnet in north London, England. Finchley is on high ground, about north of Charing Cross. It formed an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, becoming a municipal borough in 1933, and has formed part of Greater London since 1965...
in Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
in 1908, the middle child and only daughter of the journalist Charles Gardner and his wife, also named Helen. She was eleven when her father died and the family thereafter made their home with her grandparents. Mrs Gardner, a very musical woman, was highly ambitious for her gifted daughter, who demonstrated artistic talent from an early age. Gardner's early education was at the North London Collegiate School
North London Collegiate School
North London Collegiate School is an independent day school for girls founded in 1850 in Camden Town, and now in the London Borough of Harrow.The Good Schools Guide called the school an "Academically stunning outer London school in a glorious setting which, in 2003, demonstrated its refusal to rest...
. In 1926 she went to St Hilda's College, Oxford
St Hilda's College, Oxford
St Hilda's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England.The college was founded in 1893 as a hall for women, and remained an all-women's college until 2006....
, and in 1929 obtained a first-class honours degree in English language and literature: in 1935 she became M.A. (University of Oxford).
Academic career
Her teaching career began at the University of BirminghamUniversity of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
, where she held a temporary post. After three years as an assistant lecturer at Royal Holloway College in London, she returned to Birmingham, as a member of the English department (1934–41).
She became a tutor at Oxford in 1941 and was a fellow of St Hilda's College, Oxford from 1942. In 1966, she became Merton Professor
Merton Professors
There are two Merton Professorships of English in the University of Oxford: the Merton Professor of English Language and Literature, and the Merton Professor of English Literature. The second was created in 1914 when Sir Walter Raleigh's chair was renamed...
of English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
in the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, the first woman to hold this chair. Her specialist areas were T. S. Eliot
T. S. Eliot
Thomas Stearns "T. S." Eliot OM was a playwright, literary critic, and arguably the most important English-language poet of the 20th century. Although he was born an American he moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 and was naturalised as a British subject in 1927 at age 39.The poem that made his...
, the Metaphysical poets
Metaphysical poets
The metaphysical poets is a term coined by the poet and critic Samuel Johnson to describe a loose group of British lyric poets of the 17th century, who shared an interest in metaphysical concerns and a common way of investigating them, and whose work was characterized by inventiveness of metaphor...
, Milton
John Milton
John Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
and religious poetry, with many essays published on these subjects, as well as on literary criticism itself. She edited The New Oxford Book of English Verse, 1250-1950 (1972) and The Metaphysical Poets. She retired from the chair in 1975.
Her 1949 collection of essays, The Art of T. S. Eliot, is regarded a seminal work on the poet. In particular, she challenged the notion that Eliot was only accessible to those well-versed in his many allusions:
"It is better, in reading poetry of this kind, to trouble too little about the ‘meaning’ than to trouble too much. If there are passages whose meaning seems elusive, where we feel we are ‘missing the point,’ we should read on, preferably aloud... We must find the meaning in the reading..."
She revisited Eliot's work in 1978 with her study of The Composition of Four Quartets
Four Quartets
Four Quartets is a set of four poems written by T. S. Eliot that were published individually over a six-year period. The first poem, "Burnt Norton", was written and published with a collection of his early works following the production of Eliot's play Murder in the Cathedral...
, published by Faber and Faber
Faber and Faber
Faber and Faber Limited, often abbreviated to Faber, is an independent publishing house in the UK, notable in particular for publishing a great deal of poetry and for its former editor T. S. Eliot. Faber has a rich tradition of publishing a wide range of fiction, non fiction, drama, film and music...
.
Gardner was also the editor of an influential and authoritative edition of Donne's poetry in 1952 entitled "John Donne: the Divine Poems" in which she revises and corrects many disputed parts of the text (punctuation and word choice variants found in the various manuscripts and editions of Donne's poetry). Those editions include both the 1633 and 1635 editions of his collected works, the earlier editorial work of Herbert Grierson, and the manuscripts on which these works were based. This work was further revised and republished in 1978.
Gardner also compiled The Faber Book of Religious Verse (1972) and The New Oxford Book of English Verse (1972).
Her work met with great acclaim, and she was awarded the CBE in 1962 and a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1967. She was also granted honorary degrees from Cambridge, London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, and Yale
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
universities. She died in Bicester
Bicester
Bicester is a town and civil parish in the Cherwell district of northeastern Oxfordshire in England.This historic market centre is one of the fastest growing towns in Oxfordshire Development has been favoured by its proximity to junction 9 of the M40 motorway linking it to London, Birmingham and...
in 1986.
Political and social views
Helen Gardner was a lifelong Labour voter and, when she lived in Birmingham, canvassed for Labour in a Conservative area. She was one of the key witnesses for the defence in the obscenity trial of Lady Chatterley's LoverLady Chatterley's Lover
Lady Chatterley's Lover is a novel by D. H. Lawrence, first published in 1928. The first edition was printed privately in Florence, Italy with assistance from Pino Orioli; it could not be published openly in the United Kingdom until 1960...
in 1960. The character of E. M. Ashford in Margaret Edson's Wit
Wit (play)
Wit is a play written by American playwright Margaret Edson. Edson used her work experience in a hospital as part of the inspiration for her play. Wit received its world premiere at South Coast Repertory, Costa Mesa, California, in 1995...
is based on Helen Gardner.