Matthew Green (1696 – 1737) was an English poet of the early 18th century, noted for his elegant lyricism and occasional verse. Born in England—records indicate his birthplace as Colchester, Essex—Green received a classical education and entered the teaching profession, serving as a schoolmaster in his native town.
Green’s literary reputation rests principally on a small corpus of poems that achieved modest contemporary circulation and later critical appreciation. His most celebrated work, “The Spleen” (1735), is a satirical, mock‑epic poem that treats melancholy as a physiological disorder, blending humour with philosophical reflection. The poem was praised by contemporaries, including Alexander Pope, who commended Green’s “refined taste” and “smoothness of style.”
Other poems attributed to Green include:
- “The Sufferer” – a meditation on human suffering and consolation;
- “Muscovy” – an occasional verse describing the Russian empire;
- “The Fatal Duellist” – a narrative poem on the consequences of dueling;
- Various occasional verses composed for local events, public celebrations, and personal occasions, many of which were printed in pamphlets or periodicals of the time.
Although Green’s output was limited, his works were collected and posthumously published in a single volume, Poems by the Late Matthew Green (1740), which helped preserve his reputation. 19th‑century literary historians, such as Thomas Seccombe, have noted the poet’s “graceful diction” and “delicate sensibility,” placing him among the minor yet noteworthy lyric poets of the Augustan age.
Green died in September 1737 in Colchester, where he was interred. His poetry, while not widely anthologised, continues to be referenced in studies of 18th‑century English verse for its stylistic clarity and the charm of its occasional subjects.