1788 in poetry

Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature (for instance, Irish or France).

Events

• December – Robert Burns writes his version of the Scots poem Auld Lang Syne.^[1]

Works published in English

United Kingdom

This year three works of poetry, all written by women (the Falconars, More and Yearsley), condemn slavery; while Samuel Pratt is an early advocate of animal rights:

• Henry Cary, Sonnets and Odes,^[2] the author turns 16 years old this year
• William Collins, Ode on the Popular Superstitions of the Highlands of Scotland^[2]
• William Crowe, Lewesdon Hill, published anonymously^[2]
• Maria Falconar and Harriet Falconar:
  • Poems^[2]
  • Poems on Slavery^[2]
• James Hurdis, The Village Curate^[2]
• Robert Merry, writing under the pen name "Della Crusca", Diversity^[2]
• Hannah More, Slavery: A Poem
• "Peter Pindar", see John Wolcot, below
• Samuel Jackson Pratt, Sympathy
• William Whitehead, Poems by William Whitehead, published posthumously, edited by William Mason (see also Plays and Poems 1774)^[2]
• John Wolcot, writing under the pen name "Peter Pindar", Tales and Fables^[2]
• Ann Yearsley, A Poem on the Inhumanity of the Slave Trade^[2]

United States

• Timothy Dwight, published anonymously, "The Triumph of Infidelity: A Poem",^[3] satire in heroic couplets; supports Calvinism and attacks Voltaire, David Hume, Joseph Priestley and their followers^[4]
• Philip Freneau, Miscellaneous Works of Mr. Philip Freneau, Containing His Essays and Additional Poems^[4]
• Francis Hopkinson:
  • An Ode, in honor of the Adoption of the U.S. Constitution^[3]
  • Seven Songs, for the Harpsichord or Forte-Piano^[3]
• Peter Markoe:
  • "The Times", satire on prominent Philadelphia society people^[4]
  • "The Storm", attributed to Markoe^[4]
• William Roscoe, The Wrongs of Africa: A Poem^[3]
• Susanna Rowson:
  • Poems on Various Subjects^[5]
  • A Trip to Parnassus^[4]

Works published in other languages

• Basilio da Gama, Relação abreviada da República e Lenitivo da saudade; Brazil^[6]
• Joseph Quesnel, Colas et Colinette, a comedy in verse, French language, published in Quebec, Canada^[7]

Births

Death years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:

• January 22 – Lord Byron (died 1824), English poet and leading figure in Romanticism
• March 10 – Joseph von Eichendorff (died 1857), German poet and novelist
• May 16 – Friedrich Rückert (died 1866), German poet, translator and professor of Oriental languages
• June (day unknown) – Eliza Townsend (died 1854), American poet who published anonymously
• c. October 14 – Robert Millhouse (died 1839), English weaver poet
• October 24 – Sarah Josepha Hale (died 1879), American writer, influential editor, author of nursery rhymes, including "Mary Had a Little Lamb"
• December 6 – Richard H. Barham ("Thomas Ingoldsby") (died 1845), English poet, humorist and priest

Deaths

Birth years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:

• March 29 – Charles Wesley (born 1707), English Methodist clergyman and hymn writer
• June 12 – Johann Andreas Cramer (born 1723), German poet, writer and theologian
• July 5 – Mather Byles, (born 1707), English Colonial American clergyman and poet^[4]
• July 31 – Thomas Russell (born 1762), English poet whose Sonnets and Miscellaneous Poems are posthumously published in 1789
• October 13 – Robert Nugent, 1st Earl Nugent (born 1709), Irish poet and politician
• October 28 – William Julius Mickle (born 1734), Scottish-born poet
• Giulio Variboba (born 1725), Arbëresh poet

See also

• Poetry portal

• Poetry