Hemans, Felicia

Felicia Dorothea Hemans was born in Liverpool on 25 September 1793. She wrote her first poems at the age of 15. In 1812, she married Alfred Hemans, an army officer. During her first six years of marriage, the poet became the mother of five sons and managed to publish four more volumes of poetry. The couple separated in 1818, it is not known whether due to the demands of her work or the embarrassment of his finances. Captain Hemans stayed in London on business for his wife until 1820, but settled permanently in Rome. Unable to continue writing and look after her children at the same time, the poet and her sons moved to North Wales to live with Felicia's mother. From 1831 she lived in Dublin. By this time, she was already one of the most famous figures on the British literary scene. Women in particular were among her favourite readers. Hemans died of dropsy on 16 May 1835 at the age of 41.