Edward Lear

Edward Lear was an English artist, illustrator, musician, and poet. He is best known for his literary nonsense poems, and for popularising the limerick form.Born in London in 1812, Lear was one of twenty-one children. He was primarily raised by his eldest sister Ann, who was 21 years older than him. Lear had a sickly childhood, and struggled with epilepsy throughout his life.In 1846, Lear published a volume of limericks entitled A Book of Nonsense, which helped to popularise the genre of literary nonsense. He also worked as an artist, making illustrations of birds and animals, and even illustrating an edition of Tennyson’s poems.He died in 1888 at his home in San Remo, Italy, where he is buried.