A. C. Benson

A. C. Benson
Benson c. 1899
28th Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge
In office
1915–1925
Preceded byStuart Alexander Donaldson
Succeeded byAllen Beville Ramsay
Personal details
BornArthur Christopher Benson
24 April 1862
Crowthorne, Berkshire, England
Died17 June 1925(1925-06-17) (aged 63)
Cambridge, England
Parents
Relatives
EducationTemple Grove School
Eton College
Alma materKing's College, Cambridge
Signature

Arthur Christopher Benson, FRSL (24 April 1862 – 17 June 1925) was an English essayist, poet and academic, who served as the 28th Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge. He wrote the lyrics of Edward Elgar's Coronation Ode, including the words of the patriotic song "Land of Hope and Glory" (1902). His literary criticism, poems, and volumes of essays were highly regarded. He was also noted as an author of ghost stories. According to contemporary critics and historians, he is thought to have been homosexual; homosexual themes often present themselves very subtly in his work.