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He published one or two volumes of poetry from 1833, and contributed several poems to Blackwood's Magazine, one of which, A Christmas Hymn, attracted attention. He was called to the bar, but for ten years he lived a life of ease in London, where he became the intimate friend of Robert Browning, of whose poem Waring he was the subject. An account of the friendship between the two men appeared in The Contemporary Review for January 1905, by W. H. Griffin . (See also Robert Browning and Alfred Domett, edited by F. G. Kenyon , 1906).
In 1842 Domett emigrated to New Zealand where he filled many important administrative posts, being colonial secretary for New Munster in 1848, secretary for the colony in 1851, and prime minister in 1862-3. He returned to England in 1871, was created C.M.G. in 1880.
Among his books of poetry, Ranolf and Amohia, a South Sea Day Dream, about Maori life, is the best known (1872), and Flotsam and Jetsam (1877) is dedicated to Browning.
This article incorporates text from the public domain 1911 Encyclopędia Britannica. 1911 Britannica