Letitia Elizabeth Landon was born London, England. After her schooling in Chelsea, she began contributing to a weekly literary magazine called Literary Gazette, eventually becoming one of its editors. She published several poetry collections including The Fate of Adelaide and The Improvisatrice. In addition to poetry, L. E. L., as she was known to her readers, wrote several novels, although she always considered poetry her first literary language. Her gently romantic style was very popular at the time. She died in 1838 from an overdose of hydrocyanic acid, which is said to have been accidental.