Fenton, Elijah (1683–1730)

English poet. He worked with Alexander Pope on the translation of the Odyssey, the first, fourth, nineteenth, and twentieth books being translated by Fenton. He also edited the works of Milton and Edmund Waller 1725 and 1729, and wrote a tragedy, Marianne 1723, and many poems.

Fenton was born in Shelton, Staffordshire, and educated at Cambridge. He became private secretary to the Earl of Orrery, with whom he went to Flanders, but later he returned to England and was appointed headmaster of the grammar school at Sevenoaks.