Edwin Arnold


Edwin Arnold

Born(1832-06-10)10 June 1832
Gravesend, England
Died24 March 1904(1904-03-24) (aged 71)
London, England
Occupation
  • Journalist
  • editor
  • poet
Education
Notable worksThe Light of Asia
Children6, including Edwin Lester Arnold
Signature

Sir Edwin Arnold KCIE CSI (10 June 1832 – 24 March 1904) was an English poet and journalist. He is best known for his 1879 work, The Light of Asia.[1]

Born in Gravesend, Kent, Arnold's early education at King's School, Rochester, and later at King's College London and University College, Oxford, laid the groundwork for his career. Initially a schoolmaster and later the Principal of the Deccan College in India, Arnold's experiences abroad influenced his literary endeavors. He became associated with The Daily Telegraph, serving as its editor-in-chief, and facilitated H. M. Stanley's exploration of Africa. Arnold's poem, The Light of Asia, an exploration of Buddhist philosophy through the life of Prince Gautama, earned him widespread acclaim. Despite the success of this work, his later attempts to emulate its triumph with The Light of the World centered on Jesus Christ, faced mixed reception. Arnold's personal life was marked by multiple marriages, including one to a Japanese woman, reflecting his deep engagement with Japanese culture as evidenced in his writings. An advocate for vegetarianism, he played a significant role in the West London Food Reform Society alongside figures like Mahatma Gandhi. Arnold died at the age of 77, in London, in 1904.

  1. ^ "Sir Edward Arnold Dead". The New York Times. 24 March 1904. Retrieved 23 June 2024.