Izaak Walton summary

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Izaak Walton, (born Aug. 9, 1593, Stafford, Staffordshire, Eng.—died Dec. 15, 1683, Winchester, Hampshire), English biographer and author. Apprenticed to a linendraper and with only a few years of schooling, he prospered after he acquired his own shop in London. He read widely, developed scholarly tastes, and associated with men of learning. A friend and fishing companion of John Donne, he contributed “An Elegie” to the posthumous publication of Donne’s poetry (1633) and wrote biographies of Donne (1640), George Herbert (1670), and others. His classic The Compleat Angler (1653), a pastoral discourse on the joys and stratagems of fishing, is one of the most frequently reprinted works in English literature; a later revision (1676) included additions by Charles Cotton (1630–87).

fishing Summary

Fishing, the sport of catching fish, freshwater or saltwater, typically with rod, line, and hook. Like hunting, fishing originated as a means of providing food for survival. Fishing as a sport, however, is of considerable antiquity. An Egyptian angling scene from about 2000 bce shows figures

biography Summary

Biography, form of literature, commonly considered nonfictional, the subject of which is the life of an individual. One of the oldest forms of literary expression, it seeks to re-create in words the life of a human being—as understood from the historical or personal perspective of the author—by