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Algernon Charles Swinburne

Algernon Charles Swinburne

9.9
An English poet known for bold, often shocking poems in the 1800s
  • proper noun
: Algernon Charles Swinburne
  • The library owns several first editions of works by Algernon Charles Swinburne.

Examples

  • In his essay, the student discussed the influence of Algernon Charles Swinburne on modern poetry.

  • Algernon Charles Swinburne was praised for his mastery of lyrical and dramatic verse.

  • I love Algernon Charles Swinburne!

  • His work includes Algernon Charles Swinburne.

  • Algernon Charles Swinburne was praised for his mastery of lyrical and dramatic verse.

  • In his essay, the student discussed the influence of Algernon Charles Swinburne on modern poetry.

  • The library owns several first editions of works by Algernon Charles Swinburne.

Synonyms

Swinburne
vsAlgernon Charles Swinburne
1 9.5

An English poet and writer of plays from the late 1800s

focuses on innovative verse and literary influence in Victorian literature rather than dramatic roles

Surface Forms

Morphology

Algernon + Charles + Swinburne

This is a full proper name whose referential meaning (identity as a Victorian English poet and his biographical information) cannot be inferred from the individual name components; knowing the words 'Algernon', 'Charles' and 'Swinburne' does not tell a learner that the string refers to a poet. Proper names are largely arbitrary and language-specific, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would not be able to derive the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Algernon Charles Swinburne was an English poet of the late 1800s who wrote very musical, often shocking poems. Think of him as a bold voice who pushed the rules of poetry, and that image explains why his name is remembered as an 'innovative' and 'controversial' poet today.