Edward Coote Pinkney | |
|---|---|
 Frontispiece from The Life and Works of Edward Coote Pinkney | |
| Born | October 1, 1802 London, England |
| Died | April 11, 1828 (aged 25) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Resting place | Green Mount Cemetery Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Occupation | Sailor Lawyer Poet |
Edward Coote Pinkney (aliter: Edward Coate Pinckney) (October 1, 1802 – April 11, 1828) was an American poet, lawyer, sailor, professor, and editor. Born in London in 1802 when his father was serving as ambassador to the Court of St. James, Pinkney returned with his family to the United States when he was eight. They returned to Maryland, where he was privately schooled.
After attending college (academy level), he joined the United States Navy at age 13, and traveled throughout the Mediterranean and elsewhere. He later attempted a law career but was unsuccessful at building the business. He tried to join the Mexican army, but they did not accept him. He died of tuberculosis at the age of 25 in 1828.
Pinkney published several lyric poems inspired primarily by the work of British poets. American critic and poet Edgar Allan Poe supported Pinkney's work after his death, and other critics also praised him. Although Pinkney is sometimes called the first poet of the South, Poe suggested that Pinkney would have been more successful if he had been a New England writer.