vi , ▁F SA , ▁F RS L ▁( 1 6 ▁May ▁ 1 9 3 1 ▁in ▁R uis lip ▁– ▁ 1 ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁in ▁F ram pton - on - S ever n ) ▁was ▁a ▁British ▁poet , ▁arch ae ologist , ▁Jes uit ▁priest , ▁travel ▁writer , ▁bi ograph er , ▁academic ▁and ▁pro l ific ▁rev iewer ▁and ▁critic . ▁He ▁was ▁Professor ▁of ▁Po etry ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Oxford ▁( 1 9 8 4 – 1 9 8 9 ). ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁Le vi ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁R uis lip , ▁M idd les ex . ▁The ▁family ▁of ▁his ▁father ▁( Her bert ▁Simon ▁Le vi ) ▁came ▁from ▁Ist an bul ▁and ▁that ▁of ▁his ▁mother ▁( Ed ith ▁Mary ▁Tig ar ) ▁was ▁English . ▁His ▁mother ▁was ▁a ▁dev out ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁and ▁his ▁Jewish ▁father ▁converted ▁to ▁that ▁religion ; ▁their ▁three ▁children ▁all ▁entered ▁religious ▁orders . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁educated ▁in ▁private ▁Catholic ▁establish ments ▁starting ▁at ▁Prior ▁Park ▁near ▁Bath , ▁run ▁by ▁the ▁Christian ▁Brothers . ▁When ▁he ▁was ▁ 1 4 , ▁Oscar ▁Wil de ▁had ▁become ▁his ▁literary ▁id ol . ▁Wil de ▁had ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁Greek ▁text ▁of ▁the ▁G osp els ▁was ▁the ▁most ▁beautiful ▁book ▁in ▁the ▁world , ▁so ▁a ▁school ▁with ▁more ▁Greek ▁was ▁demanded ▁and ▁he ▁changed ▁schools ▁to ▁Be aum ont ▁College , ▁a ▁Jes uit ▁school ▁in