In this series, a contemporary poet selects and introduces a poet of the past. By their selection of verses and by the personal and critical reactions they express in their introductions, the selectors offer a passionate and accessible introduction to some of the greatest poets in history. A. E. Housman (1859-1936) was born in Fockbury, Worcestershire, and educated at St John's College, Oxford. His first collection, A Shropshire Lad, was published in 1896.