BLUNT, WILFRID SCAWEN

born Aug. 17, 1840, Petworth House, Sussex, Eng. died Sept. 12, 1922, Newbuildings, Sussex English poet best known for his expression of anti-imperialism based on sympathy for small or oppressed nations. He entered the diplomatic service in 1858 but retired on his marriage with Lady Anne Noel in 1869. Later he established a famous stud for the breeding of Arabian horses and with his wife travelled frequently in North Africa, Asia Minor, and Arabia, seeking horses. Blunt became known as an ardent sympathizer with Muslim aspirations, and in The Future of Islam (1882) he directed attention to the forces that produced the movements of Pan-Islamism and Mahdism. He was a violent opponent of British policy in the Sudan and supported the national party in Egypt. Ideas About India (1885) was the result of two visits to that country, which confirmed his distrust of colonialism as exploitation. His best known volume of verse, Love Sonnets of Proteus (1880), reveals his real merits as an emotional poet. Blunt published a complete edition of his poetical works in 1914 and two volumes of My Diaries (1919 and 1920).