Charles Lamb (10, 1775- December 27, 1834) is an English poet, literary critic, fiction writer, and prince of English essayist. He is a poet of the English romantic period. He is best known for his “essay of Elia” and for the children’s book “Tales from Shakespeare” which he produced along with his sister, Mary Lamb.

Biography of Charles Lamb

Lamb was a prominent figure of major literary circles in England. He was a good friend with notable literary celebrities such as Robert Southey, Samuel Coleridge, William Hazlitt, and William Wordsworth. His principal biographer E.V. Lucas referred to him as “The most loveable figure in English literature.” 

Birth:

Charles Lamb was born on 10th February 1775, in Crown Office Row, the Inner Temple, and London. Lamb was the youngest child, with a sister 11-year-old named Mary Lamb and an elder brother named John Lamb; there were four others who did not survive infancy. Lamb went to school at Christ’ Hospital, where he studied until1789. He was a near contemporary there of Samuel Taylor Coleridge and of Leigh Hunt. In1792 Lamb found employment as a clerk at East India House, remaining there until retirement in 1825.

Death 

On 27 December 1834, Charles Lamb died of streptococcal infection erysipelas, at Edmonton in London. Lamb was buried in All Saints’ Churchyard.

Father

His father's name was John Lamb, who work as a lawyer’s clerk.

Mother 

Elizabeth Lamb

Marriage

Never marriage as the devoted his time to looking after his sister Mary Lamb who suffered from mental illness.

Education  

Christ’s Hospital School and he was a fellow pupil of St. College. 
Literary Movement-Romantic age.

Lamb's contribution in literature 

Lamb is one of those few writers who carved out a place for themselves in the history of English Literature, in spite of their slender output. A bundle of essays, a number of casual lyrics, one or two brief plays, a tale of striking pathos, a few narratives and adaptation of old authors for children and some critical notes on his favourite writers- these constitute the sum of his work.
Charles Lamb is deservedly called “The Prince of English Essayist”. He had a versatile personality, but his family suffered with mental illness. He himself was temporarily affected by   remained in the asylum for a short time. But therefore, of madness never came upon him. Lamb studied Elizabethan, Jacobean and Caroline literature deeply and widely. Lamb’s devotion to his sister is one of the most moving examples of self- sacrifice in the history of English literature. He never married, since he feared he would not be able to maintain her with him after marriage. 
Primarily, lamb is known as the renowned essayist yet, he wrote some poems, plays and romances. His best – known work is his two volumes of the Essay of Elia (1823and 1833) in which he discourses about his life and times.

Lamb’s literary works-

Lamb’s important essay, poems, plays are as follows:

1    Essays of Elia

Essays of Elia is Lamb ‘The London Magazine’. It is published in 1823. Lamb’s essay first appears in the ‘London Magazine’.  He writes under the pseudonym “Elia”. The name Elia is borrowed from an Old Italian clerk at the South Sea House. This collection of essays is including the following essays:
• The South Sea House
• Oxford in the vacation 
• Christ’s Hospital Five and Thirty years ago
• The two races of men
• New Year’s Eve
• Dream Children: A Reverie
• A Bachelor complaint
• Poor Relations
• Old and New Schoolmaster 
• My Relations 

2     Poetry 

• Poetry for children
• Prince Dorus

3     Prose works

• Tales from Shakespeare 
• Specimens of English Dramatic poets 
• The tragedies of Shakespeare
• Adventures of Ulysses

3     Drama

• John Woodvil