Oliver Goldsmith (10 November 1728 – 4 April 1774) was an Anglo-Irish poet, novelist, playwright, and hack writer. He produced literary works in a variety of genres and is regarded among the most versatile writers of the Georgian era. His works are known for their realistic depictions of society, and his comedy plays for the English stage are considered by critics as second in importance only to those of William Shakespeare. Credited with introducing sentimentalism in English literature in 18th-century Great Britain, several of Goldsmith's publications are popular classics of the period, including his only novel, The Vicar of Wakefield (1766), and the comedy play She Stoops to Conquer (1771). Wikipedia