Thomas Hood is buried in Kensal Green Cemetery, London, England. Also buried here is James Leigh Hunt.
Gravestone of Thomas Hood
Photograph by Connie Nisinger Hood was
the editor of a number of journals including Gem, Comic Annual, New Monthly
Magazine and Hood's Magazine.
In his day Hood was known for his humorous and
satirical verse and, in particular, for his skilful use of puns. However,
today he is chiefly remembered for his more serious poems such as
The
Bridge of Sighs, The Song of the Shirt and
The Death-Bed. During his life Hood was
plagued by ill health which encouraged him to turn to writing. He also
suffered many financial difficulties and it is said that he once
mortgaged his brain with his publishers in return for a cash advance. He
was also a friend of the poet and essayist Charles
Lamb. Philip
Larkin parodied his poem I Remember, I Remember to highlight the
uneventful nature of his own childhood. At Hood's funeral, his son remembered that
as it came to a close 'a lark rose up, mounting and
singing over our heads'. Hood received a Civil List pension shortly
before he died. |
