Samuel Johnson – The Literary Giant

SAMUEL JOHNSON -that is most implicit name of a man who rose from the most humble beginnings, a life of poverty in childhood days and ill-health dogging almost all of his lifetime to a greatest of all great literary giants of eighteenth century Britain- a proud figure in the annals of english literature, who never bowed to anyone for any reason. Samuel Johnson with the strength of his character and personality, apart from extra-ordinary command over the english language and an great orator ruled the literary world of his times like a ‘king of all he surveyed’ and a banyan tree for a number of growing, up-coming literary men under his umbrella. But today he is known only by a few as ‘that great Englishman-the father of english dictionary and an trend-setter for other languages in this direction.

This extra-ordinary figure was born in 1708 A.D. in a small  cathedral town called Lichfield-more like a village-as the only son of poor and humble Michael Johnson-a small -time book seller in the village market place. A rather late issue after silent prayers from his parents, their joy knew no bounds and celebrated with what little they had-and that was more or less negligible to say- his birth with great rejoicing, but to know very shortly that this sibling was down with an incurable  disease called ‘scrofula’-an ugly swelling neck and an hindered eye-sight as a result of smallpox that affected his skin too. Their efforts to get him cured all failed and even after his mother’s disastrous journey to London to get the Queen’ blessings by her touching him to restore his health-as per their belief in those days. Even so, he lived and carried his days and sent to school.His dad would proudly announce to his clients how his son now could independently write poetry although he had written himself. As he grew, he seldom wanted to do his classwork but would not mind sitting in his father’s shop and read all the books he cared to which made him unduly unresponsive and tremendously lazy. His ill-health also kept him away from mixing with kids of his age and playing. They also did not bother him knowing his temper and strong arms. But this in a way helped him in acquiring tremendous knowledge by undisturbed  reading of books in ‘shop guided by his dad. At fifteen, he left grammer school(our primary school)to go to Stoubridge for a year and returned, to while away two more years in bookshop. But he had learnt a lot, having read and mastered latin language and now could write poetry independently. later in his hay days, he would regret for refusing his father to look after the shop while he was ill. He would go to Utexter market where his father’s shop was once located and stand in rain indefinitely  as a mark of self-punishment for refusing to help his father when needed— –to be contd.

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