{{Infobox biographie
| nom        = Nicholas Rowe
| image       = Nicholas-Rowe-1.jpg
| tailleimage(en px)=225
| nomofficiel    = Nicholas Rowe
| surnom      = 
| datedenaissance  =1674
| lieudenaissance  =
| datededeces    =1718
| ageaudecès    =44
| lieudedeces    =
| nationalite    =
| metier      =dramaturge et poète
| occupation    =
| formation     =
| hommage      =
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| famille      =
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}}
'''Nicholas Rowe''', (anglais. Il accéda à la dignité de Poète Lauréat en 1715.

==Œuvre==
''La Belle-mère ambitieuse'' (''The Ambitious Stepmother''), sa première pièce, vit le jour en 1700 et fut produite par Thomas Betterton. L'action se déroulait à Persépolis et la représentation reçut un très bon accueil. Ce succès fut suivi de ''Tamerlan'' (''Tamerlane''), texte dans lequel le grand conquérant figure en réalité Guillaume III d'Angleterre tandis que Louis XIV est tourné en dérision sous les traits de Bajazet.

''La Pénitente juste'' (1703) est une adaptation librement inspirée de la ''Dot fatale'' de Philip Massinger et Nathaniel Field. Le grand critique Samuel Johnson a rangé cette pièce parmi les tragédies les plus plaisantes jamais écrites en anglais. Il note en particulier que « ''l'histoire est domestique, assimilable à la vie quotidienne et donc aisément appréhendable pour l'imagination ; la diction est d'une harmonie exquise, tantôt douce ou vive selon l'occasion'' ». Le fameux personnage de Lothario est resté dans les mémoires comme l'incarnation archétypale de l'homme dissolu. On dit par ailleurs que le personnage de Calista aurait plus tard inspiré à Samuel Johnson celui de Clarissa Harlowe, tout comme Lothario aurait donné naissance à Lovelace. 

En mythologiques comparables, en ce sens que « ''nous avons été familiarisés trop tôt avec les héros poétiques pour espérer éprouver du plaisir à leur renouveau'' ».

''Le Converti royal'' (''The Royal Convert'', chrétienne Ethelinda. L'histoire se déroule en Angleterre à une époque obscure et barbare. 

''La Tragédie de Jane Shore'' (''The Tragedy of Jane Shore'') fut jouée au théâtre de Drury Lane en 1714, avec Anne Oldfield dans le rôle principal, et tint le devant de la scène pendant dix-neuf soirées consécutives. Il s'agit du plus grand succès de Rowe. Ce dernier admit que la pièce s'inspirait fortement du style de Shakespeare, sans toutefois parvenir à une imitation parfaite.

thumb|Nicholas Rowe ''Guilt is the source of sorrow, 'tis the fiend, Th' avenging fiend, that follows us behind, With whips and stings''

'''Nicholas Rowe''' (English dramatist, poet and miscellaneous writer, was appointed Poet Laureate in 1715.

==Life==

Nicholas Rowe was born in Little Barford, Bedfordshire, England, son of John Rowe (d. 1692), James II.

The future English poet was educated first at Highgate School, and then at Westminster School under the guidance of a Dr. Busby. In 1688, Rowe became a King's scholar, which was followed by his entrance into Middle Temple in 1691. His entrance into Middle Temple was decided upon by his father, who felt that Rowe had made sufficient progress to qualify him to study law.  While at Middle Temple, he read statutes and reports with proficiency proportionate to the force of his mind, which was already such that he endeavoured to comprehend law, not as a series of precedents, or collection of positive precepts, but as a system of rational government and impartial justice. 

On his father's death, when he was nineteen, he became the master of an independent fortune. He was left to his own direction, and from that time ignored law to try his hand first at poetry, and then later at writing plays.

Rowe married first a daughter of a Mr Parsons and left a son John. By his second wife Anne, née Devenish, he had a daughter Charlotte. 

Rowe acted as under-secretary (1709-1711) to the duke of Queensberry when he was principal secretary of state for George I he was made a surveyor of customs, and in 1715 he succeeded Nahum Tate as poet laureate.

He was also appointed clerk of the council to the Prince of Wales, and in 1718 was nominated by Parker as clerk of the presentations in Chancery. He died on the 6th of December 1718, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. 

:The inscription on his tomb reads as follows:
::''To the Memory of NICHOLAS ROWE Esq: who died in 1718 Aged 45, And of Charlotte his only daughter the wife of Henry Fane Esq; who, inheriting her Father’s Spirit, and Amiable in her own Innocence & Beauty, died in the 22nd year of her age 1739.''
 
::''Thy Reliques, Rowe, to this sad Shrine we trust, and near thy Shakespear place thy honour’d Bust, Oh next him skill’ed to draw the tender Tear, For never Heart felt Passion more sincere: To nobler sentiment to fire the Brave. For never Briton more disdain’d a Slave: Peace to the gentle Shade, and endless Rest, Blest in thy Genius, in thy love too blest; And blest, that timely from Our Scene remov’d Thy Soul enjoys that Liberty it lov’d.''

::''To these, so mourn’d in Death, so lov’d in Life! The childless Parent & the widow’d wife With tears inscribes this monument Stone, That holds their Ashes & expects her own.'' 

Upon his death his widow received a pension from George I in Lucan. This verse translation, or rather paraphrase of the ''Pharsalia'', was called by Samuel Johnson one of the greatest productions in English poetry, and was widely read, running through eight editions between 1718 and 1807. 

==Works==

''The Ambitious Stepmother'', Rowe's first play, produced in 1700 at Lincoln’s Inn Fields by William III, and Louis XIV is denounced as Bajazet. It was for many years regularly acted on the anniversary of William's landing at Torbay.

''Massinger and Field's ''Fatal Dowry'', was pronounced by Dr Johnson, and was one of the most pleasing tragedies in ever written in English. In it occurs the famous character of Lothario, whose name passed into current use as the equivalent of a rake. Calista is said to have suggested to Samuel Richardson the character of Clarissa Harlowe, as Lothario suggested Lovelace.  Samuel Johnson noted of ''The Fair Penitent'' that, "The story is domestic, and therefore easily received by the imagination, and assimilated to common life; the diction is exquisitely harmonious, and soft or spritely as occasion requires."

In 1704, Rowe tried his hand at comedy, producing ''The Biter'' at Lincoln's Inn Fields. The play is said to have amused no one except the author, and Rowe returned to tragedy in ''Ulysses'' (1706).  According to Johnson, this play was to share the fate of many such plays based on mythological heroes, as, "We have been too early acquainted with the poetical heroes to expect any pleasure from their revival" 

''The Royal Convert'' (1707) dealt with the persecutions endured by Aribert, son of Hengist and the Christian maiden Ethelinda.  The story was set in England in an obscure and barbarous age. Rodogune was a tragic character, of high spirit and violent passions, yet with a wicked with a soul that would have been heroic if it had been virtuous.