Born in 1759 in Alloway, Scotland, to tenant farmer William and Agnes Brown Burnes. Became excise collector in Dumfries, where he died in 1796. Published first work in 1786, "Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect"
Born around 1342/43 in London, Chaucer was a middle-class English family member. His father John Chaucer was a successful London vintner and royal official. He showed early fluency in French, Latin, and Italian
Born in 1854 in Charleville to military captain Frédéric Rimbaud. Excelling student at Collège de Charleville, winning multiple academic prizes. Started writing poetry at age 15 under mentor Georges Izambard
Bard was a Celtic professional storyteller and poet employed by monarchs. Term comes from Proto-Celtic *bardos meaning 'praise-maker'. First mentioned in Book of Invasions about Tuatha Dé Danann tribe
Born in 1770 in Lauffen am Neckar, orphaned at age two. Attended Tübinger Stift, where he met Hegel and Schelling. Studied theology but couldn't join Lutheran ministry. Became tutor after graduation in 1793
Anne Hathaway was born in 1556 in Shottery, Warwickshire, England. She married William Shakespeare in 1582, when she was 26 and he was 18. She was pregnant with their first child when they married