WATSON, Six William, English poet: b. Burley-in-Wharfedale, Yorkshire, 2 Aug. 1859. He was privately educated and in 1880 published his Stet volume of verse, 'The Prince's Quest and Or Poems,' which showed the influence of Keats and William Morris and found favor with Rosette In 1884 he issued his 'Epigrams of Arrtt,, Life and Nature.' containing much work, but it was not till the on of 'Vs'ordsworth's Grave and Other in 1890 that he gained adequate recog nition The volume of his 'Poems' published in 1892 was • reprint of the 1890 volume with the addition of 26 new pieces. Of 'Lachryrns Masan: ma and Other Poems' (1892), the title fine eulogy of Lord Tennyson. 'The Angels' followed in 1893, 'Odes and Odle: poems' in 1894 and 'The Father of the Forest and Other Poems' in 1895. To 1896 be im* two volumes of sonnets on the Armen ian atrocities, with the titles 'The Year of Shame' and 'The Purple East' ; to 1897, 'The Hope of the World sad Other Poems.' His 'Collected Poems' (18943) ought rather to be called 'Selected Poems,' since from them are excluded all of the 1880 and 1893 volumes, more than half of the 'Epigrams,' most of 'The Year of Shame' and portions of the other vol umes. He wrote in 1902 one of the more
odes on the coronation of Edward 'II and in 1903 'For England.' He has written in prose a volume of literary essays, 'Excur sions in Criticism' (1893). In 1909 he brought out 'New Poems.' in 1913 *The ifir.e in Exile.' in 1916 'Retrogression and Other Poems,' in 1917 'The Man Who Saw.' Watson's work is carefully wrought, reflective in tone and marked by an air of distinction. It has been sometimes criticized as occasionally too closely an echo of greater poets. He was prominently staltiosed among the possible successors to Tennyson and Alfred Austin in the laureate ship but the honor went elsewhere. In 1917 he received the honor of knighthood.