Samuel Johnson, commonly referred to as Dr. Johnson, left a lasting legacy as an English writer who excelled in various roles as a poet, playwright, essayist, moral philosopher, and critic during both the Neo-Classical and Age of Sensibility periods. His multifaceted intellectual pursuits earned him the title of a “man of letters.” Dr. Johnson’s deep Anglican faith and unwavering commitment to the Tory political ideology were central to his personal and intellectual life.
Samuel Johnson was born on September 18, 1709, in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. He was the son of a bookseller. He faced health issues throughout his life, including childhood scrofula, also known as the King’s Evil, when the lymph nodes in the neck swell and get inflamed. In the past, people thought it could be cured by a king’s touch because they believed it was related to tuberculosis. Queen Anne gave Johnson an amulet on a chain he would wear for the rest of his life.
As a child, Johnson showed signs of remarkable intelligence. His early education began at the age of three, guided by his mother, who had him memorize and recite passages from the Book of Common Prayer. Additionally, he learned from a shoemaker. Later, Johnson attended Lichfield Grammar School, where he excelled in Latin. For his most personal poems, Johnson preferred using Latin.
During this period, Johnson’s future was uncertain due to his father’s substantial debt. To earn money, Johnson started binding books for his father while also developing his literary knowledge through reading those books. The family lived in poverty until the death of Johnson’s mother’s cousin, Elizabeth Harriotts, who left enough money to send him to university. At the age of 19 in 1728, Johnson enrolled in Pembroke College, Oxford. However, the inheritance didn’t cover all his expenses at Pembroke, and a fellow student and friend, Andrew Corbet helped him and other students.
While at Pembroke, Johnson’s tutor told him to create a Latin translation of Alexander Pope’s Messiah as a Christmas exercise. Remarkably, Johnson completed this translation in just half a day. This poem was later included in Miscellany of Poems (1731), edited by John Husbands, a tutor at Pembroke, making it the earliest surviving publication of Johnson’s writings. Johnson devoted the rest of his time to study, even during the Christmas break. He also worked on an unfinished study plan called “Adversaria” and used his time to learn French while enhancing his grasp of Greek.
Johnson had to come back to Lichfield without earning a degree due to his inability to pay the required student fees. He commenced his career as an undermaster at a school in Market Bosworth, despite his lack of a degree. However, Johnson’s role at the school was somewhat servile in nature and he left the school, and by June 1732, he had made his way back to his hometown. During this time, his symptoms of Tourette syndrome became more pronounced and frequently drew comments from others.
Johnson spent time with his friend Edmund Hector, who was residing with the publisher Thomas Warren. During this period, Warren and Johnson launched the Birmingham Journal. On July 9, 1735, Johnson married Elizabeth, commonly known as Tetty Porter, who was the widow of his friend Harry Porter. At the time of their marriage, Tetty was 45 years old and a mother of three children. The Porter family was not supportive of the union, primarily due to the substantial age gap between Johnson, who was 25 years old, and Elizabeth, who was 46.
In the autumn of 1735, Johnson opened Edial Hall School as a private academy at Edial, near Lichfield. He had only three pupils: Lawrence Offley, George Garrick, and the 18-year-old David Garrick, who later became one of the most famous actors of his day.[64] The venture was unsuccessful and cost Tetty a substantial portion of her fortune. Johnson began to write his first major work, the historical tragedy Irene. Irene was a commercial success but Johnson himself was not satisfied with his work. Irene was the only drama he had ever written in his lifetime.
In 1737, Johnson made his way to London alongside his former pupil, David Garrick. Garrick had connections in the city, which helped Johnson get settled there. He met a printer named Edward Cave, who would become one of Johnson’s most influential supporters when he faced financial difficulties. Edward Cave was associated with a periodical known as “The Gentleman,” which is now recognized as “The Gentleman’s Magazine.” Johnson collaborated with Cave on this periodical and contributed to its content.
In May 1738, Johnson’s first major and critically acclaimed work, the poem “London,” was published anonymously. After reading the poem, Alexander Pope said that the author’s identity would be revealed. Between 1737 and 1739, Johnson formed a close friendship with the poet Richard Savage. Johnson decided to stop living with Tetty and spent more of his time with Savage. During this period, Johnson wrote “The Life of Mr. Richard Savage” in 1744, this biography remains one of the pioneering works in the history of biographical literature.
In 1746, some publishers approached Johnson to make a dictionary for the English language. William Strahan, a publisher signed a contract with Johnson on June 18, 1746, worth 1,500 guineas. Johnson confidently said he could finish this job in just three years. To understand how impressive this was, think about the French language folks. They had 40 scholars working for 40 years to make their dictionary. Johnson made a joke, saying, “If we compare, it’s like saying an Englishman is to a Frenchman as three is to 1,600.”
Although Johnson didn’t finish in three years as he first promised, he did complete the big project in eight years. Some people criticized the dictionary, especially historian Thomas Babington Macaulay, who described Johnson as “a wretched etymologist”. But other people praised him for his hard work and Johnson became a notable name. The Dictionary was finally published in April 1755. His definition of words was often accompanied by illustrative quotations from important literary works. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in 1765 by Trinity College Dublin and in 1775 by the University of Oxford.
In 1750, Samuel Johnson decided to write a series of essays called “The Rambler,” which would be published every Tuesday and Saturday. He ended up writing more than 208 essays for this series and written in prose language. These essays often explored topics related to morality and religion. Writer and printer Samuel Richardson, who really liked Johnson’s essays, provided financial support to Johnson. Novelist Charlotte Lennox even defended “The Rambler” in her book “The Female Quixote” in 1752.
Johnson’s highly acclaimed poem, “The Vanity of Human Wishes,” was written during this time. In 1758, he began writing another series, “The Idler,” which was published in a weekly newspaper called “The Universal Chronicle.”
In 1759, Johnson published a philosophical novella titled “Rasselas”. He wrote this novella in just one week to cover the costs of his mother’s funeral and to pay off her debts. “Rasselas” became incredibly popular, with new English editions coming out almost every year. References to it can be found in many later works of fiction, including “Jane Eyre,” “Cranford,” and “The House of the Seven Gables.” Its fame extended beyond English-speaking countries, as “Rasselas” was quickly translated into five languages (French, Dutch, German, Russian, and Italian), and later into nine more.
Johnson’s edition of Shakespeare was finally published on 10 October 1765 as The Plays of William Shakespeare. Johnson’s preface of Shakespeare is considered one of the most important and influential pieces of Shakespearean criticism in the English language. In it, Johnson discusses Shakespeare’s literary and dramatic merits, as well as the challenges of editing and interpreting his works. He also explores the character of Shakespeare’s genius and the enduring appeal of his plays. Johnson also wrote 52 Poet’s biographies.
Samuel Johnson passed away on December 13, 1784, at the age of 75. Samuel Johnson was laid to rest on December 20, 1784, at Westminster Abbey.