Robert Bolling
About the Poet
Robert Bolling (1738–1775) was a poet, a member of the House of Burgesses (1761–1765), the sheriff of Buckingham County, and a member of the county court (1761–1775). Trained as a lawyer, Bolling is best known as a poet, however. He published more poetry than any other colonial American between 1759 and 1775, including the grotesque “Neanthe” (ca. 1763), which reflected elements of Italian traditions, colonial Virginia folklore, and English poetry. In addition, during the failed courtship of his distant cousin, Bolling kept a journal, “A Circumstantial Account,” which provides a unique view of eighteenth-century Virginia gentry.
Bolling died suddenly in 1775 while attending the Virginia Convention of July–August 1775.
Region
Southside
Virginia City or County Affiliation
Buckingham County, Virginia
Years of Residence in Virginia
37
Gender
Male
Race/Ethnicity
White
Year of Birth
1738–1775
Website
Published Works or Performances
Neanthe, (ca. 1763).
Robert Bolling