Algernon Charles Swinburne (5 April 1837 – 10 April 1909) was an English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic. He wrote several novels and collections of poetry such as
Poems and Ballads, and contributed to the famous
Eleventh Edition of the
Encyclopædia Britannica. A controversial figure at the time, Swinburne was a sado-masochist and alcoholic, and was obsessed with the Middle Ages and lesbianism.