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the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

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Listings for Author:  

Anna Seward

 

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Anna Seward : Letters of Anna Seward: Written Between the Years 1784 and 1807

Elizabeth Barrett to Mary Russell Mitford, 1 January 1838: 'In my childish days & for some days afterwards I have read & re-read Miss Seward's Letters. They had a charm for me notwithstanding their vanity & elaborateness & bombast; and that charm was from the earnest love of poetic literature with which they are penetrated, & the generous thoughts & feelings which light them up.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Barrett      Print: Book

  

Anna Seward : Letters of Anna Seward: Written Between the Years 1784 and 1807

'Since I have been in London I have read nothing but Miss Seward's letters and Miss Owenson's Missionary. Of Miss Seward I am bound to speak well, as she doth so of me; and her monodies are beauiful; but the letters are naught; they abound in false sentiment, and a great many other false things. As to the Missionary, Ambrosio is his father, and Matilde his mother; but, wanting the indelicacy of papa, and the delicacy of mamma, he's a dull fellow. I could think of nothing else but poor Margaret Stewart of Blantyre, and her presbyterian minister, while I read this. Miss Luxina brought her hogs to a bad market, for Hilarion was little better than a beast. Walter Scott's last poem I have also seen, but so hastily that I can be no competent judge of its merits. Talking of words, allow me to recommend to you Ford's plays, lately re-published. Some of them are excellent; the first in the series (which hath an awkward name, I must confess) and the Broken Heart, are particularly admirable. I am sure that you will be struck with them; for Ford is almost as moving as Otway or Lee, - who is the mad poet I adore, yet I can persuade nobody to read him. The History of the Somerville Family, which I have seen in MS., is soon to be printed, and that of Sutherland is to be out shortly'.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe      Print: Book

  

Anna Seward : Letters

'After my visit to Mrs [-], I returned home, and read Miss Seward's Letters. I think them very entertaining, though the style is much too laboured and affected for letter-writing. She is a clever woman, and they contain much reflection and criticism; there is more in them than the generality of published letters, but not one atom of simplicity or nature. In one of her letters to Walter Scott, she praises C. S.[harpe?]'s poetry, which pleases me, and will him, still more'.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Charlotte Bury      Print: Book

  

Anna Seward : Letters

'[Sir [-]] observed that he was reperusing Miss Seward's Letters, and said, what an odd fancy it was to bequeath them to Constable, enjoining their publication after her death. "There are parts", said he, "I like very well; but there is too much gall in them, especially for any one to wish to have it spread when they were in the dust'.

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Sir [-]      Print: Book

  

Anna Seward : [poem on Lichfield]

'I shewed him some verses on Lichfield by Miss Seward, which I had that day received from her, and had the pleasure to hear him approve of them. He confirmed to me the truth of a high compliment which I had been told he had paid to that lady, when she mentioned to him "The Colombiade", an epick poem, by Madame du Boccage:--"Madam, there is not any thing equal to your description of the sea round the North Pole, in your Ode on the death of Captain Cook".'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Johnson      Manuscript: Unknown

  

Anna Seward : 'Elegy on Captain Cook'

'I shewed him some verses on Lichfield by Miss Seward, which I had that day received from her, and had the pleasure to hear him approve of them. He confirmed to me the truth of a high compliment which I had been told he had paid to that lady, when she mentioned to him "The Colombiade", an epick poem, by Madame du Boccage:--"Madam, there is not any thing equal to your description of the sea round the North Pole, in your Ode on the death of Captain Cook".'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Johnson      Print: Unknown

  

Anna Seward : [poem on Lichfield]

'I shewed him some verses on Lichfield by Miss Seward, which I had that day received from her, and had the pleasure to hear him approve of them. He confirmed to me the truth of a high compliment which I had been told he had paid to that lady, when she mentioned to him "The Colombiade", an epick poem, by Madame du Boccage:--"Madam, there is not any thing equal to your description of the sea round the North Pole, in your Ode on the death of Captain Cook".'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: James Boswell      Manuscript: Unknown

  

Anna Seward : 'Written by Anna Seward, After Reading Southey’s Joan of Arc’

Robert Southey to John May, 24 August 1797: 'Have you seen a poem addressed to me by Miss Anna Seward? if not I can much amuse you by it. she applies to my poetry what Milton says of the Pandæmonium chorists.calls me an unnatural boy, a beardless parricide, & dark of heart; says I cry like a crocodile & bids me laugh like a hyena. — & laugh I did most heartily — & so I think will you at perusing this very delectable poem.'

Century: 1700-1799     Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey      Print: Newspaper

 

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