How did Schaeckspeare get the nickname " the Bard "?

Question

I know I misspelled it. How is it spelled?

Answer 1

Ben Jonson gave Shakespeare the epithet, "Swan of Avon" in an elegy he wrote for him, published as a preface to the First Folio publication of Shakespeare's plays. This, of course, was modified to the "Bard of Avon," meaning singer or minstrel. A bard sang in courtyards and at festivals preserving the stories of heroes (and villains). To Jonson, Shakespeare, the "Swan of
Avon," was also the "Star of Poets," hence the Bard par excellence in the time of "Eliza and our James," Queen Elizabeth I and King James I.

Jonson, himself a playwright of the period, was a rival and critic of Shakespeare, perhaps also a friend, ultimately an admirer, though their plays were very different.

Here are the last few lines of the poem (the whole poem is available at the first site indicated below):

Sweet Swan of Avon ! what a sight it were
To see thee in our waters yet appear,
And make those flights upon the banks of Thames,
That so did take Eliza, and our James !
But stay, I see thee in the hemisphere
Advanced, and made a constellation there !
Shine forth, thou Star of Poets, and with rage
Or influence, chide or cheer the drooping stage,
Which, since thy flight from hence, hath mourned like night,
And despairs day, but for thy volume's light.

The poem was headed this way:

TO THE MEMORY OF MY BELOVED
MASTER WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE,
AND WHAT HE HATH LEFT US

Answer 2

So far as I know in olden times, a Bard was a story-teller, a traveller with tales in verse, and often accompanied by a lute or similar string instrument. A version of the troubador and the rest, before Caxton largely put us out of business. But I don't know the origins of the term, nor how it became attached to Shakespeare specifically - except that he was a Great storyteller (and in marvelous verse that is music in itself)

Answer 3

"Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard")

William Shakespeare (baptised April 26, 1564 – died April 23, 1616)was an English poet and playwright widely regarded as the greatest writer of the English language, as well as one of the greatest in Western literature, and the world's preeminent dramatist. He wrote about thirty-eight plays and 154 sonnets, as well as a variety of other poems. Already a popular writer in his own lifetime, Shakespeare's reputation became increasingly celebrated after his death and his work adulated by numerous prominent cultural figures through the centuries. In addition, Shakespeare is the most quoted writer in the literature and history of the English-speaking world. He is often considered to be England's national poet and is sometimes referred to as the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard") or the "Swan of Avon".

Shakespeare is believed to have produced most of his work between 1586 and 1616, although the exact dates and chronology of the plays attributed to him are often uncertain. He is counted among the very few playwrights who have excelled in both tragedy and comedy, and his plays combine popular appeal with complex characterisation, poetic grandeur and philosophical depth.

Shakespeare's works have been translated into every major living language, and his plays are continually performed all around the world. In addition, many quotations and neologisms from his plays have passed into everyday usage in English and other languages. Over the years, many people have speculated about Shakespeare's life, raising questions about his sexuality, religious affiliation, and the authorship of his works.

Answer 4

Those days a 'beard' used to be called a 'bard'.