Francis Thompson was born in Preston, Lancashire, England. He was a Roman Catholic who studied at Ushaw College. He also studied medicine at Manchester, but does not seem to have done well at it, for after moving to London he was reduced to selling matches and newspapers for a living. During this time he became addicted to opium, which he initially took as a remedy for ill health.
His most famous poem, "The Hound of Heaven" describes the pursuit of the human soul by God. He also wrote Sister Songs (1895), New Poems (1897), and a posthumously published essay: Shelley (1909).
Thompson died of tuberculosis in London.
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