British Women Poets of the Long Eighteenth Century : An Anthology / edited by Paula R. Backscheider and Catherine E. Ingrassia.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Backscheider, Paula R., 1943- editor.

Ingrassia, Catherine, editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

English poetry--Women authors.

English poetry.

English poetry--18th century.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (957 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Baltimore, Maryland : The Johns Hopkins University Press, [2009]

Summary:

This anthology gathers 368 poems by 80 British women poets of the long eighteenth century. Few of these poems have been reprinted since originally published, and all are crucial to understanding fully the literary history of women writers.Paula R. Backscheider and Catherine E. Ingrassia demonstrate the enormous diversity of poetry produced during this time by organizing the poems in three broad and deliberately overlapping categories: by genre, establishing that women wrote in all of the forms that men did with equal mastery and creativity; by theme, offering a revisionary look at the range of topics these writers addressed, including war, ecology, friendship, religion, and the stages of life; and by the poems' more specific focus on the women's experiences as writers.Backscheider and Ingrassia have selected poems that represent the best work of skilled poets, creating a wonderful mix of canonical and little-known pieces. They include the complete texts of longer poems that are abridged or omitted in other collections. Their substantial part introductions, textual notes, bibliographical information, and biographical sketches situate the poets and their writings within the cultural and political milieu in which they appeared.To generate further scholarship on this subject, this essential anthology puts primary texts in front of students, scholars, and general readers. It fills the persistent need to document women's poetic expression during the long eighteenth century and to rewrite the literary history of the period, a history from which women have largely been excluded.

Contents:

Cover

Title

Copyright

Dedication

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

How to Read Eighteenth-Century Poetry

Part One. Poetic Kinds and Genres

A. Social Verse

Anne Finch, To a Lady who having desired me to compose somthing

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, On the Death of Mrs. Bowes

Mary Barber, To a Lady, who Invited the Author into the Country

Mary Barber, An Epigram on the "Battle of the Books"

Laetitia Pilkington, An Invitation to a Gentleman

Elizabeth Carter, Written Extempore on the Sea-Shore

Mary Whateley Darwall, Impromptu

B. The Sonnet

Jane Barker, On the Death of my Brother

Jane Barker, To My Young Lover

Mary Monck, Sonetto from Monsignor Della Casa

Mary Monck, Sonetto from Marini

Catherine Talbot, La Disperata

Anna Williams, A Sonnet: To a Lady of Indiscreet Virtue

Helen Maria Williams, Sonnet: To Twilight

Helen Maria Williams, Sonnet: To the Strawberry

Anna Seward, Sonnet LXIV: To Mr. Henry Cary

Anne Bannerman, Sonnet V: To the Owl

Mary Robinson, Sonnet Introductory from "Sappho and Phaon"

Mary Robinson, Sonnet XLIII

Charlotte Smith, Sonnet I

Charlotte Smith, Sonnet II: Written at the Close of Spring

Charlotte Smith, Sonnet III: To a Nightingale

Charlotte Smith, Sonnet IV: To the Moon

Charlotte Smith, Sonnet V: To the South Downs

Charlotte Smith, Sonnet VI: To Hope

Charlotte Smith, Sonnet VII: On the Departure of the Nightingale

Charlotte Smith, Sonnet VIII: To Sleep

Charlotte Smith, Sonnet VIII: To Spring

C. Poems of Common Life

Mary Barber, Written for my Son

Sarah Dixon, The Slattern

Frances Seymour, Life at Richkings

Mary Jones, Epistle, from Fern-Hill

Anna Williams, Reflections On a Grave digging in Westminster Abbey.

Elizabeth Hands, On seeing a Mad Heifer run through the Village

Joanna Baillie, A Winter Day

Janet Little, On Halloween

Anna Laetitia Barbauld, Washing-Day

Mary Alcock, The Chimney-Sweeper's Complaint

Anne Bannerman, Sonnet I: The Watch-Man

Mary Robinson, London's Summer Morning

Elizabeth Hamilton, My Ain Fire-Side

D. The Ode

Mary Chudleigh, On the Vanities of this Life: A Pindarick Ode

Anne Finch, The Spleen: A Pindarique Ode

Elizabeth Thomas, On the Death of the Lady Chudleigh. An Ode

Elizabeth Carter, To Wisdom. A nocturnal Ode

Priscilla Poynton, First Poetical Composition of the Author's

Mary Savage, Ode to the Manes of Cowley

Ann Murry, Ode to the Moon

Harriet Falconar, On Ambition

Maria Falconar, Ode to Freedom

Jane West, Independence. Ode III

Anne Bannerman, Ode I. The Spirit of the Air

Anna Laetitia Barbauld, Life

E. The Ballad

Anonymous, Disconsolate Judy's Lamentation

Laetitia Pilkington, The Happy Pair: A Ballad

Amelia Opie, The Warrior's Return

Susanna Blamire, The Nabob

Carolina Oliphant Nairne, Auld Langsyne

Carolina Oliphant Nairne, Jeanie Deans

Carolina Oliphant Nairne, The Pleughman

F. Satire

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Epistle [to Lord Bathurst]

Mary Barber, The Conclusion of a Letter to the Rev. Mr. C

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Tuesday: St. James's Coffee-House

Charlotte Lennox, The Art of Coquettry

Ann Thicknesse, A New Song

Ann Murry, City Splendor, A Town Eclogue

Mary Robinson, Lines on hearing it declared

Mary Robinson, January, 1795

Carolina Oliphant Nairne, When First I Got Married

Anna Laetitia Barbauld, West End Fair

G. The Hymn

Mary Chudleigh, The Elevation

Sarah Fyge Egerton, The Extacy

Octavia Walsh, The Goodness of Providence.

Elizabeth Singer Rowe, Hymn I

Judith Madan, A Funeral Hymn

Anna Laetitia Barbauld, Hymn II

Susannah Harrison, Hymn XXXV: Behold he cometh

Helen Maria Williams, A Hymn

Mary Whateley Darwall, Evening Hymn

Hannah More, A New Christmas Hymn

Helen Maria Williams, A Hymn, Written among the Alps

H. The Fable

Anne Finch, The Atheist and the Acorn

Hannah More, The Two Gardeners

Mary Leapor, The Fox and the Hen: A Fable

Hester Thrale Piozzi, The Three Warnings: A Tale

Helen Leigh, The Linnet

a Fable

Mary Alcock, The Hive of Bees: A Fable

Eliza Tuite, Song: The Tulip and the Rose

Mary Robinson, Mistress Gurton's Cat

I. The Elegy

Elizabeth Thomas, A Pastoral Elegy, on Henry late Duke of Norfolk

Mary Masters, Upon the Same: [To my Infant Niece]

Jane Brereton, On the Death of a Lady

Elizabeth Tollet, Adieu my Friend

Clara Reeve, An Elegy. Written at Putney

Susanna Blamire, Written in a Churchyard

Helen Maria Williams, Elegy: On finding a young Thrush in the Street

Jane West, Elegy III. To Laura

Mary Whateley Darwall, Elegy on the Ruins of Kenilworth Castle

Anna Laetitia Barbauld, Epitaph on [Susannah Barbauld Marissal]

J. The Verse Narrative

Anne Finch, The Poor Man's Lamb

Catherine Rebecca Manners, Eugenio and Eliza

Mary Robinson, The Savage of Aveyron

Carolina Oliphant Nairne, O Stately Stood the Baron's Ha'

K. Pastoral Poetry

Elizabeth Singer Rowe, A Pastoral: Henry and Lucy

Elizabeth Singer Rowe, A Pastoral

Jane Brereton, The 9th Ode of the 3d Book of Horace: Imitated

Mary Leapor, Damon and Strephon: A Pastoral Complaint

Esther Lewis Clark, A Song

Elizabeth Hands, Love and Friendship. A Pastoral

Jane West, Pastoral I

L. The Verse Epistle

Introduction.

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Constantinople

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Epistle from Mrs. Y[onge]

Judith Madan, Abelard to Eloisa

Anna Seward, Verses, Inviting Stella to Tea on the Public Fast-Day

Part Two. Poetry as Life Writing

A. Friendship Poems

Katherine Philips, A retir'd Friendship, to Ardelia

Katherine Philips, L'Amitie. To Mrs. Mary Awbrey

Katherine Philips, A Friend

Sarah Fyge Egerton, On Friendship

Anne Finch, Friendship between Ephelia and Ardelia

Mary Chandler, On Friendship

Mehetabel Wright, To the Memory of Mrs Mary Whitelamb

Jane Brereton, On Mrs Sybil Egerton's Singing an Anthem

Charlotte Lennox, To a Lady Singing

Elizabeth Teft, On Friendship

Mary Leapor, Essay on Friendship

Mary Jones, To Miss Clayton

Mary Masters, I shall keep your Correspondence as Misers do their Gold

Mary Masters, On Friendship

Elizabeth Carter, To [Miss Lynch]

Helen Maria Williams, Sonnet, To Mrs. Bates

Charlotte Smith, Sonnet XXVIII: To Friendship

Elizabeth Hands, An Epistle

Maria Frances Cecilia Cowper, To Miranda

Mary Whateley Darwall, Elegy, Addressed to Mrs. Hewan

B. Poems of Retirement and Retreat

Sarah Fyge Egerton, The Retreat

Anne Finch, A Nocturnal Rêverie

Octavia Walsh, On Solitude

Sarah Dixon, Retirement

Charlotte Lennox, To Mira

Elizabeth Carter, To [Miss Talbot]

Mary Whateley Darwall, The Pleasures of Contemplation

Anna Williams, The Happy Solitude, or the Wished Retirement

Hester Mulso Chapone, To Solitude

Elizabeth Hands, On Contemplative Ease

Maria Frances Cecilia Cowper, Apology for Retirement

Catherine Rebecca Manners, On Returning to Lehena

Anne Hunter, Ode to Conduit Vale, Blackheath

C. Love Poems

GENERAL

Anne Finch, A Song

Elizabeth Teft, On Love.

Martha Fowke Sansom, To My Soul's Adoration

CHILDREN

Jane Wiseman Holt, To Mr. Wren my Valentine Six Year Old

Maria Frances Cecilia Cowper, On Viewing her Sleeping Infant

Jane Cave Winscom, Written About a Month after the Birth of My Son

Charlotte Smith, Sonnet XCI: Reflections on Some Drawings of Plants

SAME-SEX

Aphra Behn, 'Twas there, I saw my Rival take

Aphra Behn, To the fair Clarinda

Jane Wiseman Holt, A Letter to a Lady

Elizabeth Carter, To

-

Anna Seward, Sonnet IV. To Honora Sneyd

Ann Yearsley, Song

Anna Seward, Elegy Written at the Sea-Side

CAUTIONARY

Aphra Behn, A thousand Martyrs I have made

Charlotte Lennox, A Song

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Epilogue to "Mary, Queen of Scots"

MARRIED LOVE

Katherine Philips, To my dearest Antenor

Anne Finch, An Invitation to Dafnis

Laetitia Pilkington, These Lines, dear Partner of my Life

Elizabeth Welwood Molesworth, Verses from a Lady at Bath

Anna Laetitia Barbauld, To Mr. Barbauld

D. Religious Poetry

Anne Killigrew, Herodias Daughter

Anne Finch, On Aff[l]iction

Elizabeth Singer Rowe, Canticle II. viii, ix

Elizabeth Singer Rowe, Soliloquy XLI

Elizabeth Teft, To an Atheist

Mary Leapor, A Request to the Divine Being

Hester Mulso Chapone, Translation of the foregoing Sonnet

Susannah Harrison, LXXXIII: Longing for Public Worship

Jane Cave Winscom, Written A few Hours before the Birth of a Child

Ann Yearsley, On Jephthah's Vow

Hannah More, Bishop Bonner's Ghost

Maria Frances Cecilia Cowper, Where Has My Ambition Led Me?

Anna Laetitia Barbauld, A Summer Evening's Meditation

Hannah More, The Lady and the Pye

Or, Know Thyself

E. The Poetry of War

Anne Killigrew, To My Lady Berkeley.

Catharine Trotter Cockburn, On his Grace the Duke of Marlborough.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781421446738

1421446731

OCLC:

1343247523