Editing Richard Aldington (section)

==Early life and education==
Edward Godfree (known from an early age as "Richard") Aldington was born in [[Portsmouth]], the eldest of four children of Albert Edward Aldington (1864–1921) and Jessie May (1872–1954), née Godfree. His father failed to establish himself as a solicitor,<ref>Vivien Whelpton (2019), ''Richard Aldington'', p. 21.</ref> going into business as a bookseller and stationer on Portsmouth High Street, later a solicitor's clerk and amateur author; his mother was a novelist (as "Mrs A. E. Aldington") and keeper of the Mermaid Inn at Rye.<ref>[https://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-30366?rskey=KVOhTt&result=1 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]</ref> Both his parents wrote and published books, and their home held a large library of European and classical literature. As well as reading, Aldington's interests at this time, all of which continued in later life, included butterfly-collecting, hiking, and learning languages – he went on to master French, Italian, Latin, and ancient Greek. He was educated at Mr. Sweetman's Seminary for Young Gentlemen, [[St Margaret's at Cliffe|St Margaret's Bay]], near Dover. His father died of heart problems at age 56.<ref name=Doyle>Charles Doyle (2016), ''Richard Aldington: A Biography'', Springer, pp. 1–5.</ref><ref Name=Zilboorg>Caroline Zilboorg, ed. (2003), ''Richard Aldington and H.D.: Their Lives in Letters, Volume 4'', Manchester University Press pp. 1–30.</ref>

Aldington attended [[Dover College]], followed by the [[University of London]].<ref name = IP>Peter Jones (editor), ''Imagist Poetry'' (1972), p. 163.</ref> He was unable to complete his degree because of the financial circumstances of his family caused by his father's failed speculations and ensuing debt. Supported by a small allowance from his parents, he worked as a sports journalist, started publishing poetry in British journals, and gravitated towards literary circles that included poets [[William Butler Yeats]] and [[Walter de la Mare]].<ref Name=Zilboorg/><ref Name=PF>[https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/richard-aldington Poetry Foundation] biography</ref><ref Name=Brit>[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Richard-Aldington Encyclopedia Britannica profile]</ref><ref Name=War>[http://www.warpoets.org/conflicts/great-war/richard-aldington-1892-1962/ War Poets Assoc. profile]</ref>

In 1911, Aldington met society hostess [[Brigit Patmore]], with whom he had a passing affair. At the time he was described as "tall and broad-shouldered, with a fine forehead, thick longish hair of the indefinite colour blond hair turns to in adolescence, very bright blue eyes, too small a nose, and a determined mouth."<ref>Vivien Whelpton (2014), ''Richard Aldington: Poet, Soldier and Lover 1911–1929'', pp. 26–27.</ref> Through her he met American poets [[Ezra Pound]] and [[H.D.]], who had previously been engaged to each other. Doolittle and Aldington grew closer and in 1913 travelled together extensively through Italy and France, just before the war. On their return to London in the summer they moved into separate flats in Churchwalk, [[Kensington]], in West London. Doolittle lived at No. 6, Aldington at No. 8, and Pound at No. 10. In the presence of Pound and the Doolittle family, over from America for the summer, the couple married. They moved to 5 Holland Place Chambers into a flat of their own, although Pound soon moved in across the hall.<ref Name=Zilboorg/>

The poets were caught up in the literary ferment before the war, where new politics and ideas were passionately discussed and created in [[Soho]] tearooms and society salons. The couple bonded over their visions of new forms of poetry, feminism, and philosophy, emerging from the wake of staid Victorian mores. The couple were fed by a sense of peership and mutualism between them, rejecting hierarchies, beginning to view Pound as an intruder and interloper rather than a literary igniter.<ref Name=Zilboorg/>

The couple met influential American poet [[Amy Lowell]] and she introduced them to writer D. H. Lawrence in 1914, who would become a close friend and mentor to both.<ref Name=Zilboorg/><ref Name=Brit/>