Robert Life Banner

1895 - 1985

Robert’s Life

This section provides a summary of the main events in of Roberts troubled life which gave rise to both the poetry and prose. were many. Robert wrote his memoirs in his highly successful “Goodbye to All That”, at the age of 34 at a particularly critical juncture in his life. Although entitle “an Auto biography” his full life is not reflected: it covers little more than a third of his life: he died at the age of 90. Several full biographies have been written: Below is a link to these; to studies of his poetry and writings; and to a short academic summary of Robert by Dr Ian Firla.

Family Tree

Robert Graves —his full name was Robert von Ranke Graves— was born in Wimbledon, London, on July.

Childhood

1895 - 1909

Robert Graves —his full name was Robert von Ranke Graves— was born in Wimbledon, London, on July.

schooling

Schooling

1909 - 1914

Robert attended various preparatory schools, and from the last of these, Copthorne, he won a scholarship…

war

War

1914 - 1918

Robert Graves had just left Charterhouse and joined his family in Wales, when England declared war on Germany.

oxford

Oxford

1918 - 1926

Robert met seventeen-year-old Nancy Nicholson, in May 1916 when on leave. She was the daughter of the painters William and Mabel Nicholson…

lauraegypt

The Arrival of Laura Riding

1926 - 1928

Despite the fact that he was well connected with the literary establishment of the time, both in London...

stpeters

St. Peters Square, London

1927 - 1929

Despite the fact that he was well connected with the literary establishment of the time, both in London...

deia

Deià

1929 - 1936

When Graves and Riding left England in October 1929, they visited their friend Gertrude Stein in France...

exile

Life on the Move

1936 - 1939

On August 2nd 1935, after two weeks of uncertainly about the seriousness of the Franco uprising, the...

galmpton

Galmpton

1939 - 1946

Back in England after the break-up with Laura, Graves was close to a nervous breakdown. But then Beryl...

return

Return to Deià

1946 - 1960

In May 1946, after having obtained visas to travel to Spain, Graves took his new family to Majorca. The...

recognition

International Recognition

1954 - 1970

The White Goddess had provided Graves with a coherent framework for his particular views on poetry and...

lastyears

Last Years

1970 - 1985

Graves refused most honours and Honoris Causa doctorates, but he did accept the Gold Medal for Poetry...