Sarah Williams

Sarah Williams (December 1837 – 25 April 1868) was an English poet and novelist, most famous as the author of the poem "The Old Astronomer". She published short works and one collection of poetry during her lifetime under the pseudonyms Sadie and S.A.D.I., the former of which she considered her name rather than a nom de plume. Her posthumously published second poetry collection and novel appeared under her given name.

Biography Williams was born in December 1837 in Marylebone, London, to Welsh father Robert Williams (c. 1807–1868) and English mother Louisa Ware (c. 1811–1886). She was very close to her father and considered her "bardic" interests to come from him.

Although Williams was only half Welsh by birth and never lived outside London, she incorporated Welsh phrases and themes in her poems and Sadie was considered a Welsh poet.

Robert Williams died in January 1868 of a sudden illness. Already suffering from cancer and devastated by the loss of her father, Sarah's condition deteriorated. The collection included "The Old Astronomer" (also known as "The Old Astronomer to His Pupil", as it was titled in a 1936 U.S. reprint to be fearful of the night.

The poem is written from the perspective of an aged astronomer on his deathbed bidding his student to continue his humble research. The lines have been chosen by a number of professional and amateur astronomers as their epitaphs.

Legacy

Ian Rankin titled his Inspector Rebus novel Set in Darkness after The Old Astronomer and quoted the lines in the introduction. In an interview, Rankin linked the quote to the rise of a restored Scottish Parliament and the redemption of the Inspector in the novel.

The galaxy NGC 3628 is nicknamed "Sarah's Galaxy" in tribute to Williams.

In Star Trek: Discovery, a starship's dedication plaque quotes from "The Old Astronomer".