“The father of English poetry lies in his family vault” (Elements 99), Nevill Coghill once said about Geoffrey Chaucer, buried in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey.  Poets’ Corner is only one of numerous wonderful memorials and artifacts contained in Westminster Abbey, one of the world’s beautiful and intricate cathedrals.  Westminster Abbey is home to more than its share of artwork, monuments, and shrines, attracting visitors from near and far to view the architectural beauty and all the wonders inside.
                  Found in London, England, the origin of Westminster Abbey is uncertain, for writers and historians cannot agree on its creator.  Some say King Lucies built the majestic marvel during the second Century, but that notion does not rest on any sound footing.  Sources that are more convincing say St. Mellitus, the first bishop of London, built it during the conversion of England by Pope Gregory the Great.  While in London assisting St. Augustine, St. Mellitus built the church with the help of the king.  Situated in a marsh west of the Cathedral of London and dedicated to St. Peter, St. Mellitus named the church Westminster, for its position and minister, meaning monastery. Originally meant to be a seminary, the humble little church trained clergy to spread the religion of Christ to the far reaches of Great Britain.  Danes destroyed Westminster in the ninth century, and St. Dustan restored it under the reign of King Edgar.  In the eleventh century the Abbey was rebuilt by  Edward, a well loved and trusted king of England.  The king spent lavishly to produce a rich, striking abbey (Meagher 223-226).  Nearly all of the following kings, with the exception of King Harold, were crowned in Westminster (Wetterau 1129). King Harold’s obvious distaste was a bad sign, and incidentally, he was conquered and lost his life within a year, his conqueror receiving the crown in the Abbey.  The following abbots were all worthy of their king, and King Henry III initiated a fresh time of prosperity for Westminster.  He began reconstruction of the Abbey by building the Virgin’s Chapel in 1220, Gothic style reigning the architecture.  The completed project cost the king himself over one million dollars, but he felt the cost was worth the pride he felt at the near-completion of his beautiful Abbey shortly before his death.  King Henry VII rebuilt the Virgin Chapel, with graceful stone carvings and painted ceilings. Following the death of King Henry VII, King Henry VIII ordered Westminster Abbey become a Cathedral, then a monastery church, then a collegiate chapel.  The Cathedral still crowns and buries kings, but much of its livelihood is lost.  The father of the Abbey, King Edward, is not celebrated anymore; meetings are no longer held within its sacred walls.  Now the Abbey is a whisper of the past, no longer revered as a great cathedral, only a wonderful monument of what once was (Meagher 226-229).
                  Westminster Abbey is a tomb for generations of English countrymen.  Among others buried in Westminster Abbey are kings, geniuses and poets.  Many kings, princes, nobles and celebrated men of Old England came to rest in the dimness of that holy and distinguished sanctuary. The tomb of beloved St. Edward, founder and rebuilder of Westminster, is contained within, and a more solemn and sorrowful burial the church may never see again (Meagher 226).  Even the Torrigiani tomb of Henry VII is contained within the walls of the Abbey. The tomb is considered the grandest monument of early English Renaissance (Rowse 140).  Although the distinguished men, especially the kings, felt immortality was their fate, passersby currently may look on with apathy or disregard.  Also contained within the walls of the Abbey are some of the greatest geniuses of the English race (Meagher 229).  Composer George Frederic Handel rests in the south transept, alongside Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin.  Poets’ corner houses the final resting places of many English poetic greats, from Chaucer to Charles Dickens (Westminster).  However, death has leveled all ranks of life to simply lifeless, and they rest together, “cold and silent, … the graves … of England’s great and famous children,” in Westminster Abbey (Meagher 229).
              Men have always felt a need to build monuments to historical greats.  Westminster Abbey holds its own historical monuments within its exquisite walls. Cornelius Cure made an enormous monument to Mary Queen of Scots (Rowse 164).  Directly across from her in the Lady Chapel lies the monument to Queen Elizabeth , who executed Mary.  In this chapel, two of England’s most beloved and most antagonistic queens rest together for all eternity.  Shakespeare has a monument designed by William Kent appearing in Poets’ Corner, although it is not his burial site.  Poets and writers, from T.S. Eliot to Jane Austen have memorials built in Poets’ Corner in honor of their literary works (Westminster).  “Other poets and writers, well known in their day, have now vanished into obscurity, with only their monuments to show that they were once famous…conversely, many whose writings are still appreciated today have never been memorialized in Poets’ Corner…(Westminster).”
            Westminster Abbey houses much great English artwork and artifacts on its ceilings and walls.  Epiphanius Evesham made a soldierly bearing of the soldier-sons of Lord Norris on the walls of the cathedral, a piece of artwork that reflected beautifully the sentiment, naturalness and refinement of the artist.  His work in the cathedral furthers the rediscovery of Evesham as one of the exquisite artists of that time (Rowse 165).  The Abbey houses funeral and wax effigies of kings and other important social figures of the past.  The saddle, helm and shield of Henry V are on display, as are panels of medieval glass, and 12th century sculpture fragments.  One focal point of the Abbey is the sanctuary, where the High Altar stands, behind it stands a mosaic of the Last Supper.  In front of the altar is a cherished marble pavement decorated in a style known as Cosmati work -intricate designs made by inlaying small pieces of colored marble into the plain marble ground.  Another artistic focal point is the Coronation Chair, made for King Edward I, and thought to hold the stone of scone, a stone rumored to have been, “the one upon which Jacob rested his head at Bethel”(Westminster).  The Coronation Chair is an oaken chair, decorated with elaborate patterns of animals, a king, and a lion.  Every monarch crowned in Westminster Abbey received the crown in this chair, until it was placed in the chapel of St. Edward; it may now be viewed near the tomb of Henry V.  Westminster Abbey also houses breathtakingly beautiful stained glass in many windows, including the Rose Window in the South Transept. Surrounding this window, “are two of the finest medieval carvings in the Abbey, depicting censing angels,”(Westminster).  The art and artifacts of Westminster Abbey are beautiful examples of English styles and artistic works.
            Distinguished men and women have traveled from remote lands to view the exquisite beauty of the magnificent cathedral.  Being of such majesty, the monuments and sculptures inside the Abbey were included in an official tour of London given by a tour guide.  Many residents have also entertained guests with a trip to the cathedral, melting away an entire day within its mysterious walls.  When visited by the Duc de Biron and his party in 1601, the task of entertainment fell to Sir Ralegh.  He decided to entertain them by showing them the monuments of Westminster Abbey. Although he sensed that his guests enjoyed the Bear Gardens more, Ralegh felt Saint Dustan had a finer show of Renaissance monuments in his Abbey (Rowse 166-167).  Hundreds more distinct guests have been and will be guests to the awe-inspiring beauty of the glorious Abbey.
        Westminster Abbey continues to draw visitors from across the globe to witness its beauty and magnificence, in both its design and its numerous artistic decorations.  Westminster Abbey is a gift of the past, and its monuments and artifacts will live on for future generations to enjoy.  This “living church that enshrines the history of a nation”(Cook) is a lasting memorial to the fine taste and great ideals of early English saints and kings, and will always be one of the world’s most celebrated cathedrals.

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