Eighteenth-Century Poetry An Annotated Anthology

by Fairer, David; Gerrard, Christine

• ISBN13: 9781118824757
• ISBN10: 111882475X
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2014-12-03
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

Currently the definitive text in the field and now available in an expanded third edition, Eighteenth-Century Poetry presents the rich diversity of English poetry from 1700-1800 in authoritative texts and with full scholarly annotation.

• Balanced to reflect current interests and "favorites" (including prominent poets like Finch, Swift, Pope, Montagu, Johnson, Gray, Burns, and Cowper) as well as  less familiar material, offering a variety of voices and new directions for research and learning
• Includes 46 new poems with more texts by women poets and the inclusion of four additional poets (Mary Barber, Mehetabel Wright, Anna Seward, and Mary Robinson); poems reflecting new ecological approaches to 18th-century literature; and poems on the art of writing
• Accessible and user-friendly, with generous head notes, full foot-of-page annotations, an expanded thematic index, and a visually appealing text design

Author Biography

David Fairer is Professor of Eighteenth-Century English Literature at the University of Leeds, UK. His most recent book, Organising Poetry: The Coleridge Circle 1790-1798 (2009) traces the development of English poetry during the 1790s, building on the concerns of his previous comprehensive study, English Poetry of the Eighteenth Century, 1700-1789 (2003). He is also the author of The Poetry of Alexander Pope (1989) and Pope’s Imagination (1984), and editor of The Correspondence of Thomas Warton (1995) and Pope: New Contexts (1990).

Christine Gerrard is the Barbara Scott Fellow and Tutor in English at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, UK. She has recently edited volume 1 of The Complete Correspondence of Samuel Richardson: Correspondence with Aaron Hill and the Hill Family (2013) which follows on from her literary biography Aaron Hill: The Muses' Projector, 1685-1750 (2003).  She is the editor of A Companion to Eighteenth-Century Poetry (Wiley Blackwell, 2006) and the author of The Patriot Opposition to Walpole: Politics, Poetry, and National Myth, 1725–1742 (1994).

Table of Contents

Selected Contents by Theme xi

Alphabetical List of Authors xxi

Chronology of Events and Poetic Landmarks xxii

Introduction xxv

Preface to Third Edition xxvii

Preface to Second Edition xxix

Editorial Procedures xxx

Text xxxi

Acknowledgements xxxii

John Pomfret (1667–1702) 1

The Choice 1

John Philips (1676–1709) 6

The Splendid Shilling 6

Sarah Fyge Egerton (1670–1723) 11

The Liberty 11

On my leaving London 13

To One who said I must not Love 14

The Emulation 15

Isaac Watts (1674–1748) 17

The Adventurous Muse 17

Ambrose Philips (1674–1749) 20

A Winter-Piece 20

Anne Finch (1661–1720) 22

The Spleen 22

Upon the Hurricane 26

A Nocturnal Rêverie 33

The Tree 35

To the Nightingale 36

A Sigh 37

To a Friend, in Praise of the Invention of Writing Letters 37

Glass 38

The Agreeable 39

To Mr Pope, in answer to a Copy of Verses 40

John Gay (1685–1732) 42

Friday; or, The Dirge 43

Trivia, Book II 47

The Man and the Flea 62

Thomas Parnell (1679–1718) 64

An Elegy, To an Old Beauty 64

A Night-Piece on Death 66

Oft have I read 68

Matthew Prior (1664–1721) 70

For His own Epitaph 71

An Epitaph 72

The Lady’s Looking-Glass 73

Non Pareil 74

On a Pretty Madwoman 75

True Statesmen 76

Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) 78

A Description of the Morning 79

A Description of a City Shower 80

Stella’s Birthday, 1719 81

Stella’s Birthday, 1721 82

Stella’s Birthday, 1727 84

A Satirical Elegy On the Death of a late Famous General 86

The Lady’s Dressing Room 87

A Beautiful Young Nymph Going to Bed 91

Strephon and Chloe 93

Verses on the Death of Dr Swift 100

Alexander Pope (1688–1744) 114

Windsor-Forest 115

The Rape of the Lock 126

Eloisa to Abelard 145

To Richard Boyle, Earl of Burlington 154

An Epistle to a Lady 160

The First Satire of the Second Book of Horace Imitated 167

An Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot 172

An Essay on Man. Epistle I 183

The Dunciad, 1743, Book I 192

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689–1762) 204

Saturday. The Small-Pox 205

Epistle from Arthur Gray the Footman 208

Epistle from Mrs Y[onge] to her Husband 210

The Lover: A Ballad 213

An Epistle to Lord Bathurst 214

Verses Address’d to the Imitator of Horace (with Lord Hervey) 216

The Dean’s Provocation for Writing the Lady’s Dressing-Room 219

Verses on Self-Murder 222

A Hymn to the Moon 223

Aaron Hill (1685–1750) 224

Bellaria, at her Spinnet 224

Whitehall Stairs 226

The Singing-Bird 227

Alone, in an Inn, at Southampton 229

Richard Savage (c.1697–1743) 231

The Bastard 231

Unconstant 234

Martha Fowke (1689–1736) 236

The Innocent Inconstant 236

The Invitation from a Country Cottage 237

On Lady Chudleigh 238

Clio’s Picture 239

On being charged with Writing incorrectly 241

A Letter to my Love.—All alone, past 12, in the Dumps 242

James Thomson (1700–1748) 245

Winter. A Poem (1726) 246

Spring 256

John Dyer (1699–1757) 283

Grongar Hill 283

The Fleece, Book III 287

Stephen Duck (1705?–1756) 304

The Thresher’s Labour 305

Mary Collier (1688?–1762) 312

The Woman’s Labour 312

Sarah Dixon (1671–1765) 318

Strephon to the River 318

The Return’d Heart 319

To the Muse 319

From a Sheet of Gilt Paper. To Cloe 321

Lines Occasion’d by the Burning of some Letters 323

Mary Barber (c.1685–1755) 324

To a Lady, who commanded me to send her an Account in Verse, how I succeeded in my Subscription 324

Written for my Son, and Spoken by him at his first putting on Breeches 328

The Conclusion of a Letter to the Rev. Mr C– 330

Mehetabel Wright (1697–1750) 332

To an Infant Expiring the Second Day of its Birth 332

Wedlock: A Satire 333

Address to Her Husband 334

Anne Ingram (c.1696–1764) 337

An Epistle to Mr Pope. By a Lady. Occasioned by his Characters of Women 337

viii Contents (Short Titles)

Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) 341

London 341

The Vanity of Human Wishes 350

On the Death of Dr Robert Levet 359

Mary Jones (1707–1778) 361

An Epistle To Lady Bowyer 361

Of Desire. An Epistle to the Hon. Miss Lovelace 364

Elegy, On a favourite Dog, suppos’d to be poison’d 368

After the Small Pox 370

Mary Leapor (1722–1746) 372

Dorinda at Her Glass 372

An Epistle to a Lady 375

The Enquiry 377

Man the Monarch 379

An Epistle to Artemisia 381

Upon her Play being returned to her, stained with Claret 385

Crumble-Hall 386

Mira’s Picture 391

Soto. A Character 393

Mark Akenside (1721–1770) 395

The Pleasures of Imagination, 1744, Book I 395

Thomas Gray (1716–1771) 412

Ode on the Spring 413

Sonnet on the Death of Richard West 414

Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College 415

Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat 417

Elegy Written in a Country Church Yard 419

The Progress of Poesy 423

The Bard 428

William Collins (1721–1759) 433

A Song from Shakespeare’s Cymbeline 433

Ode on the Poetical Character 435

Ode to Fear 437

Ode to Evening 440

Ode to Liberty 441

The Passions. An Ode for Music 446

Ode on the Death of Mr Thomson 449

Joseph Warton (1722–1800) 452

The Enthusiast: Or The Lover of Nature 452

Ode to Evening 459

The Dying Indian 460

Thomas Warton (1728–1790) 462

The Pleasures of Melancholy 462

Ode written at Vale-Royal Abbey in Cheshire 470

Sonnet: To the River Lodon 472

Prologue on the Old Winchester Playhouse, over the butcher’s shambles 473

Verses on Sir Joshua Reynolds’s Painted Window 474

Robert Lloyd (1733–1764) 478

The Cit’s Country Box 478

Shakespeare: An Epistle to Mr Garrick 482

Charles Churchill (1731–1764) 487

Night 487

Christopher Smart (1722–1771) 497

‘My Cat Jeoffry’ 498

A Song to David 500

On a Bed of Guernsey Lilies 517

James Macpherson (1736–1796) 519

Fragments of Ancient Poetry: 7 and 8 519

Thomas Chatterton (1752–1770) 523

Mynstrelles Songe 523

‘Stay, curyous traveller’ 525

An Excelente Balade of Charitie 526

Oliver Goldsmith (1730?–1774) 530

The Deserted Village 530

George Crabbe (1754–1832) 541

The Village, Book I 541

Ann Yearsley (1753–1806) 550

To Stella; on a Visit to Mrs Montagu 551

On Mrs Montagu 552

Clifton Hill 554

To Indifference 561

To Mr ****, an Unlettered Poet 562

Robert Burns (1759–1796) 565

The Rigs o’ Barley 566

To a Mouse 567

To a Louse 568

Holy Willie’s Prayer 570

Tam o’ Shanter 573

A Man’s a Man for a’ That 578

Anna Seward (1742–1809) 581

Sonnet. To Honora Sneyd 581

Sonnet. To the Poppy 582

Colebrooke Dale 582

Anna Laetitia Barbauld (1743–1825) 586

Corsica 586

The Mouse’s Petition 592

A Summer Evening’s Meditation 594

To Mr Barbauld 597

The Rights of Woman 598

To a little invisible Being 599

Washing-Day 600

To Mr Coleridge 603

William Cowper (1731–1800) 605

‘Hatred and Vengeance’ 606

The Poplar-Field 606

Epitaph on a Hare 607

The Task, Book I 609

The Negro’s Complaint 627

Yardley Oak 629

On the Ice-islands 634

The Cast-away 635

Mary Robinson (1758–1800) 638

London’s Summer Morning 638

The Poet’s Garret 639

The Birth-day 641

Bibliography 644

Index of Titles and First Lines 650

Selected Contents by Theme

1 WOMEN’S ROLE IN SOCIETY

Sarah Fyge Egerton, The Liberty 11

The Emulation 15

Anne Finch, The Spleen 22

To Mr Pope, in answer to a Copy of Verses 40

Alexander Pope, The Rape of the Lock 126

An Epistle to a Lady 160

Martha Fowke, On Lady Chudleigh 238

Mary Collier, The Woman’s Labour 312

Mary Barber, The Conclusion of a Letter to the Rev. Mr C– 330

Anne Ingram, An Epistle to Mr Pope 337

Mary Jones, Of Desire 364

Mary Leapor, Man the Monarch 379

Anna Laetitia Barbauld, The Rights of Woman 598

Washing-Day 600

2 BEAUTY AND VANITY

Anne Finch, The Agreeable 39

Thomas Parnell, An Elegy, To an Old Beauty 64

Jonathan Swift, Stella’s Birthday, 1719 81

Stella’s Birthday, 1721 82

The Lady’s Dressing Room 87

A Beautiful Young Nymph Going to Bed 91

Strephon and Chloe, 1–38 93

Alexander Pope, The Rape of the Lock, 1:121–48, 2:1–28 126

An Epistle to a Lady 160

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Saturday. The Small-Pox 205

Martha Fowke, Clio’s Picture 239

Anne Ingram, An Epistle to Mr Pope 337

Samuel Johnson, The Vanity of Human Wishes, 319–44 350

Mary Jones, After the Small Pox 370

Mary Leapor, Dorinda at Her Glass 372

Mira’s Picture 391

Mark Akenside, The Pleasures of Imagination, 1:271–387 395

Robert Burns, To a Louse 568

Anna Seward, Sonnet. To the Poppy 582

3 LOVE AND COURTSHIP

Sarah Fyge Egerton, To One who said I must not Love 14

Anne Finch, A Sigh 37

Matthew Prior, The Lady’s Looking-Glass 73

Alexander Pope, Eloisa to Abelard 145

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Epistle from Arthur Gray the Footman 210

The Lover: A Ballad 213

Aaron Hill, Whitehall Stairs 226

Richard Savage, Unconstant 234

Martha Fowke, The Innocent Inconstant 236

A Letter to my Love 242

James Thomson, Spring, 582–630, 983–1112 256

Sarah Dixon, Strephon to the River 318

The Return’d Heart 319

From a Sheet of Gilt Paper. To Cloe 321

Lines occasion’d by the Burning of some Letters 323

Robert Burns, The Rigs o’ Barley 566

Anna Laetitia Barbauld, To Mr Barbauld 597

4 MARRIAGE

Matthew Prior, An Epitaph 72

Jonathan Swift, Strephon and Chloe 93

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Epistle from Mrs Y[onge] to her Husband 210

Aaron Hill, Alone, in an Inn, at Southampton 229

James Thomson, Spring, 1113–76. 256

Mary Barber, The Conclusion of a Letter to the Rev. Mr C– 330

Mehetabel Wright, Wedlock: A Satire 333

Address to Her Husband 334

Robert Lloyd, The Cit’s Country Box 478

Anna Laetitia Barbauld, To Mr Barbauld 597

5 MOTHERS AND CHILDREN

Mary Collier, The Woman’s Labour, 105–20 312

Mary Barber, Written for my Son, and Spoken by him at his first putting on Breeches 328

The Conclusion of a Letter to the Rev. Mr C– 330

Mehetabel Wright, To an Infant Expiring the Second Day of its Birth 332

Ann Yearsley, Clifton Hill, 67–92 554

Anna Laetitia Barbauld, To a little invisible Being 599

Washing-Day 600

6 HUMANS AND ANIMALS

Anne Finch, To the Nightingale 36

John Gay, The Man and the Flea 62

Alexander Pope, Windsor-Forest, 43–164 115

An Essay on Man, 1:77–90, 173–246 183

Aaron Hill, The Singing-Bird 227

James Thomson, Winter. A Poem, 216–52 246

Spring, 336–442 256

Mary Jones, Elegy, On a Favourite Dog, suppos’d to be poison’d 368

Thomas Gray, Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat 417

Thomas Warton, Prologue on the Old Winchester Playhouse 473

Christopher Smart, ‘my Cat Jeoffry’ 498

Robert Burns, To a Mouse 567

To a Louse 568

Anna Laetitia Barbauld, The Mouse’s Petition 592

William Cowper, Epitaph on a Hare 607

Selected Contents by Theme xiii

7 THE NATURAL WORLD

Ambrose Philips, A Winter-Piece 20

Anne Finch, Upon the Hurricane 26

A Nocturnal Rêverie 33

The Tree 35

Alexander Pope, Windsor-Forest 115

James Thomson, Winter. A Poem 246

Spring 256

John Dyer, Grongar Hill 283

Mary Leapor, The Enquiry 377

Thomas Gray, Ode on the Spring 413

William Collins, Ode to Evening 440

Joseph Warton, The Enthusiast: Or The Lover of Nature 452

Ode to Evening 459

Thomas Warton, Ode written at Vale-Royal Abbey in Cheshire 470

Thomas Chatterton, An Excelente Balade of Charitie 526

Ann Yearsley, Clifton Hill 554

Anna Seward, Colebrooke Dale 582

William Cowper, The Poplar-Field 606

The Task, 1:103–454 609

Yardley Oak 629

On the Ice-islands 634

8 URBAN LIFE

John Philips, The Splendid Shilling 6

John Gay, Trivia, Book II 47

Jonathan Swift, A Description of the Morning 79

A Description of a City Shower 80

Alexander Pope, The Dunciad, 1743, Book I 192

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Saturday. The Small-Pox 205

Aaron Hill, Whitehall Stairs 226

John Dyer, The Fleece, 3:224–348 287

Samuel Johnson, London 341

Thomas Warton, Prologue on the Old Winchester Playhouse 473

Anna Seward, Colebrooke Dale, 44–73 582

William Cowper, The Task, 1:678–774 609

Mary Robinson, London’s Summer Morning 638

The Poet’s Garret 639

The Birth-day 641

9 HOUSES AND GARDENS

John Pomfret, The Choice 1

Alexander Pope, Epistle to Burlington 154

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, An Epistle to Lord Bathurst 214

James Thomson, Spring, 904–62 256

Samuel Johnson, London, 194–223 341

Mary Leapor, Crumble-Hall 386

Robert Lloyd, The Cit’s Country Box 478

William Cowper, The Task, 1:210–51 609

10 RURAL LIFE AND LABOUR

John Gay, Friday; or, The Dirge 43

Thomas Parnell, Oft have I read 68

Martha Fowke, The Invitation from a Country Cottage 237

John Dyer, The Fleece, Book III 287

Stephen Duck, The Thresher’s Labour 305

Mary Collier, The Woman’s Labour 312

Mary Leapor, Crumble-Hall 386

Thomas Gray, Elegy Written in a Country Church Yard 419

Oliver Goldsmith, The Deserted Village 530

George Crabbe, The Village, Book I 541

Ann Yearsley, Clifton Hill 554

Robert Burns, To a Mouse 567

11 SOCIAL CHANGE

Anne Finch, Upon the Hurricane 26

Mary Leapor, Crumble-Hall 386

Robert Lloyd, The Cit’s Country Box 478

Oliver Goldsmith, The Deserted Village 530

George Crabbe, The Village, Book I 541

Thomas Chatterton, An Excelente Balade of Charitie 526

Robert Burns, A Man’s a Man for a’ That 578

Anna Seward, Colebrooke Dale 582

William Cowper, The Negro’s Complaint 627

Mary Robinson, The Birth-day 641

12 NOCTURNAL MEDITATION

Anne Finch, A Nocturnal Rêverie 33

Thomas Parnell, A Night-Piece on Death 66

Alexander Pope, Eloisa to Abelard 145

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, A Hymn to the Moon 223

Martha Fowke, A Letter to my Love 242

Thomas Gray, Elegy Written in a Country Church Yard 419

William Collins, Ode to Evening 440

Joseph Warton, The Enthusiast: Or The Lover of Nature, 200–32 452

Ode to Evening 459

Thomas Warton, The Pleasures of Melancholy 462

Ode written at Vale-Royal Abbey in Cheshire 470

Charles Churchill, Night 487

Anna Laetitia Barbauld, A Summer Evening’s Meditation 594

13 THE ROLE OF THE POET

Isaac Watts, The Adventurous Muse 17

Anne Finch, To the Nightingale 36

To Mr Pope, in answer to a Copy of Verses 40

Jonathan Swift, Verses on the Death of Dr Swift 100

Selected Contents by Theme xv

Alexander Pope, The First Satire of the Second Book of Horace Imitated 167

An Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot 172

The Dunciad, 1743, Book I 192

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Verses Address’d to the Imitator of Horace 216

Aaron Hill, The Singing-Bird 227

Martha Fowke, On Lady Chudleigh 238

On being charged with Writing incorrectly 241

Sarah Dixon, To the Muse 319

Mary Barber, To a Lady 324

Mary Leapor, An Epistle to Artemisia 381

Thomas Gray, The Progress of Poesy 423

The Bard 428

William Collins, Ode on the Poetical Character 435

Ode on the Death of Mr Thomson 449

Joseph Warton, The Enthusiast: Or The Lover of Nature 452

Robert Lloyd, Shakespeare: An Epistle to Mr Garrick 482

Ann Yearsley, To Mr ****, an Unlettered Poet 562

Anna Laetitia Barbauld, To Mr Coleridge 603

Mary Robinson, The Poet’s Garret 639

14 LITERARY PATRONAGE AND THE ECONOMICS OF AUTHORSHIP

John Philips, The Splendid Shilling 6

Alexander Pope, The First Satire of the Second Book of Horace Imitated 167

An Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot 172

The Dunciad, 1743, Book I 192

Mary Barber, To a Lady 324

Samuel Johnson, London 341

The Vanity of Human Wishes, 73–90 350

Mary Jones, An Epistle to Lady Bowyer 361

Mary Leapor, An Epistle to Artemisia 381

Upon her Play being returned to her, stained with Claret 385

Mary Robinson, The Poet’s Garret 639

15 AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Sarah Fyge Egerton, The Liberty 11

On my leaving London 13

To One who said I must not Love 14

Anne Finch, The Spleen 22

Matthew Prior, For His own Epitaph 71

Jonathan Swift, Verses on the Death of Dr Swift 100

Alexander Pope, An Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot 172

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Verses on Self-Murder 222

Richard Savage, The Bastard 231

Martha Fowke, A Letter to my Love 242

Stephen Duck, The Thresher’s Labour 305

Mary Collier, The Woman’s Labour 312

Sarah Dixon, To the Muse 319

Mehetabel Wright, Address to Her Husband 334

Mary Jones, An Epistle to Lady Bowyer 361

Mary Leapor, An Epistle to a Lady 375

An Epistle to Artemisia 381

Mira’s Picture 391

Thomas Gray, Sonnet on the Death of Richard West 414

Elegy Written in a Country Church Yard 419

Thomas Warton, Sonnet: To the River Lodon 472

Ann Yearsley, To Stella; on a Visit to Mrs Montagu 551

On Mrs Montagu 552

To Indifference 561

Anna Laetitia Barbauld, Washing-Day 600

William Cowper, The Task, 1:103–80 609

16 RECOVERING THE PAST

Alexander Pope, Windsor-Forest 115

Aaron Hill, Alone, in an Inn, at Southampton 229

John Dyer, Grongar Hill 283

Mary Leapor, Crumble-Hall 386

Thomas Gray, Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College 415

The Progress of Poesy 423

The Bard 428

William Collins, Ode to Liberty 441

Thomas Warton, Ode written at Vale-Royal Abbey in Cheshire 470

Verses on Sir Joshua Reynolds’s Painted Window 474

James Macpherson, Fragments of Ancient Poetry: 7 and 8 519

Thomas Chatterton, Mynstrelles Songe 523

‘Stay, curyous traveller’ 525

An Excelente Balade of Charitie 526

Oliver Goldsmith, The Deserted Village 530

Anna Seward, Colebrooke Dale 582

17 CONTEMPLATING DEATH

John Gay, Friday; or, The Dirge 43

Thomas Parnell, A Night-Piece on Death 66

Matthew Prior, For His own Epitaph 71

An Epitaph 72

Jonathan Swift, A Satirical Elegy On the Death of a late Famous General 86

Verses on the Death of Dr Swift 100

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Verses on Self-Murder 222

Aaron Hill, Alone, in an Inn, at Southampton 229

Martha Fowke, On Lady Chudleigh 238

Mehetabel Wright, To an Infant Expiring the Second Day of its Birth 332

Samuel Johnson, The Vanity of Human Wishes 350

On the Death of Dr Robert Levet 359

Mary Jones, Elegy, On a Favourite Dog, suppos’d to be poison’d 368

Thomas Gray, Sonnet on the Death of Richard West 414

Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat 417

Elegy Written in a Country Church Yard 419

William Collins, A Song from Shakespeare’s Cymbeline 433

Ode on the Death of Mr Thomson 449

Joseph Warton, The Dying Indian 460

Thomas Chatterton, Mynstrelles Songe 523

Ann Yearsley, Clifton Hill, 73–92 554

Anna Laetitia Barbauld, The Mouse’s Petition 592

William Cowper, ‘Hatred and vengeance’ 606

Epitaph on a Hare 607

The Cast-away 635

18 MADNESS

Anne Finch, The Spleen 22

Matthew Prior, On a Pretty Madwoman 75

James Thomson, Spring, 1004–1112 256

William Collins, Ode to Fear 437

Ann Yearsley, Clifton Hill, 206–96 554

To Indifference 561

William Cowper, The Task, 1:534–56 609

19 VISIONS

Isaac Watts, The Adventurous Muse 17

Thomas Parnell, A Night-Piece on Death 66

Alexander Pope, The Rape of the Lock, Canto IV 126

Eloisa to Abelard 145

Aaron Hill, Bellaria, at her Spinnet 224

Martha Fowke, A Letter to my Love 242

James Thomson, Winter. A Poem, 253–300 246

Mary Leapor, The Enquiry 377

Mark Akenside, The Pleasures of Imagination, 1:151–221 395

Thomas Gray, Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College 415

The Bard 428

William Collins, Ode on the Poetical Character 435

Ode to Fear 437

The Passions. An Ode for Music 446

Joseph Warton, The Enthusiast: Or The Lover of Nature, 180–252 452

Thomas Warton, The Pleasures of Melancholy 462

Christopher Smart, A Song to David 500

Anna Laetitia Barbauld, A Summer Evening’s Meditation 594

To Mr Coleridge 603

20 THE IMAGINATION

Anne Finch, The Spleen 22

Jonathan Swift, The Lady’s Dressing Room 87

Aaron Hill, Alone, in an Inn, at Southampton 229

James Thomson, Spring, 443–79 256

Mark Akenside, The Pleasures of Imagination, Book I 395

William Collins, Ode on the Poetical Character 435

xviii Selected Contents by Theme

Thomas Warton, Ode written at Vale-Royal Abbey in Cheshire 470

Verses on Sir Joshua Reynolds’s Painted Window 474

21 LIBERTY

Sarah Fyge Egerton, The Liberty 11

Anne Finch, A Nocturnal Rêverie 33

Aaron Hill, The Singing-Bird 227

Richard Savage, The Bastard 231

Sarah Dixon, Lines occasion’d by the Burning of some Letters 323

Thomas Gray, Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College 415

William Collins, Ode to Liberty 441

Charles Churchill, Night 487

Robert Burns, A Man’s a Man for a’ That 578

Anna Laetitia Barbauld, Corsica 586

William Cowper, The Negro’s Complaint 627

22 GOD IN NATURE

Anne Finch, Upon the Hurricane 26

John Gay, The Man and the Flea 62

Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man, Epistle I 183

James Thomson, Winter. A Poem 246

Spring, 556–71, 849–903 256

Mary Leapor, The Enquiry 377

Mark Akenside, The Pleasures of Imagination, 1:56–78 395

Christopher Smart, A Song to David 500

On a Bed of Guernsey Lilies 517

Anna Laetitia Barbauld, A Summer Evening’s Meditation 594

23 WEALTH AND POVERTY

John Philips, The Splendid Shilling 6

Alexander Pope, Epistle to Burlington 154

Martha Fowke, The Invitation from a Country Cottage 237

Stephen Duck, The Thresher’s Labour 305

Mary Collier, The Woman’s Labour 312

Samuel Johnson, London 341

The Vanity of Human Wishes, 21–8 350

Robert Lloyd, The Cit’s Country Box 478

Thomas Chatterton, An Excelente Balade of Charitie 526

Oliver Goldsmith, The Deserted Village 530

George Crabbe, The Village, Book I 541

Robert Burns, A Man’s a Man for a’ That 578

Mary Robinson, The Poet’s Garret 639

The Birth-day 641

24 ART AND NATURE

Anne Finch, Glass 38

Jonathan Swift, A Beautiful Young Nymph Going to Bed 91

Alexander Pope, Epistle to Burlington 154

Selected Contents by Theme xix

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, An Epistle to Lord Bathurst 214

Martha Fowke, The Invitation from a Country Cottage 237

Clio’s Picture 239

Mary Barber, Written for my Son, and Spoken by him at his first putting on Breeches 328

Joseph Warton, The Enthusiast: Or The Lover of Nature 452

Thomas Warton, Verses on Sir Joshua Reynolds’s Painted Window 474

Robert Lloyd, The Cit’s Country Box 478

William Cowper, The Task, 1:409–35 609

25 PORTRAITS

Anne Finch, The Agreeable 39

Matthew Prior, An Epitaph 72

Non Pareil 74

Jonathan Swift, A Satirical Elegy On the Death of a late Famous General 86

A Beautiful Young Nymph Going to Bed 91

Verses on the Death of Dr Swift, 307–484 100

Alexander Pope, An Epistle to a Lady 160

An Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot, 193–214, 305–33 172

The Dunciad, 1743, 1:107–46 192

Aaron Hill, Bellaria, at her Spinnet 224

Richard Savage, Unconstant 234

Martha Fowke, The Innocent Inconstant 236

On Lady Chudleigh 238

Clio’s Picture 239

Samuel Johnson, The Vanity of Human Wishes, 99–120, 191–222 350

On the Death of Dr Robert Levet 359

Mary Jones, Of Desire, 35–118 364

Mary Leapor, An Epistle to Artemisia 381

Mira’s Picture 391

Soto. A Character 393

Christopher Smart, ‘My Cat Jeoffry’ 498

Oliver Goldsmith, The Deserted Village, 189–218 530

George Crabbe, The Village, 1:184–227, 276–319 541

Ann Yearsley, Clifton Hill, 206–96 554

Anna Laetitia Barbauld, Corsica, 107–32 586

William Cowper, The Task, 1:534–56, 633–77 609

26 MUSIC

Anne Finch, To the Nightingale 36

Aaron Hill, Bellaria, at her Spinnet 224

Mark Akenside, The Pleasures of Imagination, 1:109–38 395

Thomas Gray, The Progress of Poesy 423

William Collins, The Passions. An Ode for Music 446

27 LETTERS

Anne Finch, To a Friend, in Praise of the Invention of Writing Letters 37

Alexander Pope, Eloisa to Abelard 145

Epistle to Burlington 154

An Epistle to a Lady 160

xx Selected Contents by Theme

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Epistle from Arthur Gray the Footman 208

Epistle from Mrs Y[onge] to her Husband 210

An Epistle to Lord Bathurst 214

Martha Fowke, A Letter to my Love 242

Sarah Dixon, From a Sheet of Gilt Paper. To Cloe 321

Lines occasion’d by the Burning of some Letters 323

Mary Barber, The Conclusion of a Letter to the Rev. Mr C– 330

Mary Jones, An Epistle to Lady Bowyer 361

Of Desire 364

Mary Leapor, An Epistle to a Lady 375

An Epistle to Artemisia 381

Robert Lloyd, Shakespeare: An Epistle to Mr Garrick 482

28 POLITICS, POWER, AND THE STATE

Anne Finch, Upon the Hurricane 26

Matthew Prior, True Statesmen 76

Jonathan Swift, A Satirical Elegy On the Death of a late Famous General 86

Verses on the Death of Dr Swift, 299–484 100

Alexander Pope, Windsor-Forest 115

Samuel Johnson, London 341

Thomas Gray, The Bard 428

William Collins, Ode to Liberty 441

Charles Churchill, Night 487

Oliver Goldsmith, The Deserted Village 530

Anna Laetitia Barbauld, Corsica 586

William Cowper, The Negro’s Complaint 627

29 LYRIC

Anne Finch, A Sigh 37

Matthew Prior, Non Pareil 74

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, A Hymn to the Moon 223

William Collins, A Song from Shakespeare’s Cymbeline 433

Thomas Chatterton, Mynstrelles Songe 523

Robert Burns, The Rigs o’ Barley 566