Charlotte Smith and the Sonnet: Form, Place and Tradition in the Late Eighteenth Century

This book explores Charlotte Smith's Elegiac Sonnets and its place in literary history, arguing that they are constituted by three intertwined concerns: tradition, place, and the sonnet form. It reveals that Smith's verse engages more deeply with tradition than previously realized and revises our understanding of her career and the sonnet in eighteenth-century England. It also illuminates Smith's place in posterity as a popular poet who influenced figures such as Wordsworth and Coleridge, but who was subsequently obscured in literary history. The book explores the complex processes underpinning Smith's reception and her paradoxical position from the late eighteenth century to the present day, and shows how the appropriation of place was an important way in which aspects of literary tradition have been negotiated and understood by Smith, her predecessors, contemporaries, and successors.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 13 November 2019
Publisher: Liverpool University Press

This book presents the first comprehensive analysis of Charlotte Smith's Elegiac Sonnets, exploring its intricate relationship with literary history. It argues that Smith's sonnets are shaped by three interconnected themes: tradition, place, and the sonnet form itself, creating a profound connection between the subjects of her sonnets and the literary context in which she wrote. Charlotte Smith and the Sonnet demonstrates that Smith's verse engages more deeply with tradition than previously recognized, reshaping our understanding of her career and the sonnet in eighteenth-century England. Furthermore, the book sheds light on Smith's place in posterity, as a popular poet who influenced notable figures such as Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Constable, only to be obscured in literary history over time. It delves into the complex processes that shaped her reception and her paradoxical position from the late eighteenth century to the present day, highlighting the significance of place in the negotiation and understanding of literary tradition by Smith, her predecessors, contemporaries, and successors.

This book presents the first comprehensive analysis of Charlotte Smith's Elegiac Sonnets, exploring its intricate relationship with literary history.

It argues that Smith's sonnets are shaped by three interconnected themes: tradition, place, and the sonnet form itself, creating a profound connection between the subjects of her sonnets and the literary context in which she wrote. Charlotte Smith and the Sonnet demonstrates that Smith's verse engages more deeply with tradition than previously recognized, reshaping our understanding of her career and the sonnet in eighteenth-century England. Furthermore, the book sheds light on Smith's place in posterity, as a popular poet who influenced notable figures such as Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Constable, only to be obscured in literary history over time. It delves into the complex processes that shaped her reception and her paradoxical position from the late eighteenth century to the present day, highlighting the significance of place in the negotiation and understanding of literary tradition by Smith, her predecessors, contemporaries, and successors.

The book offers the first full-length study of Charlotte Smith's Elegiac Sonnets, clarifying its 'place – in multiple ways – in literary history as a work celebrated for 'making it new, yet deeply engaged with the literary past.' It argues that Smith's sonnets are constituted by three intertwined concerns: with tradition, place, and the sonnet form itself, whereby the subjects of Smith's sonnets – across birds, rivers, the sea, plants, and flowers – are bound up with the literary context in which she wrote.

It reveals that Smith's verse engages more deeply with tradition than has hitherto been realized and revises our understanding not only of Smith's career but also of the sonnet in eighteenth-century England. The book also illuminates Smith's place in posterity, as a popular poet – influencing figures ranging from Wordsworth and Coleridge to Constable – who was subsequently obscured in literary history. It reveals the complex processes underpinning Smith's reception and paradoxical position from the late eighteenth century to the present day, and shows that the appropriation of place itself was an important way in which aspects of literary tradition have been negotiated and understood by Smith, her predecessors, contemporaries, and successors.

Weight: 306g
Dimension: 210 x 153 x 11 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789620177