For readers daunted by the formal structures and rhetorical sophistication of eighteenth-century English poetry, this introduction by John Sitter brings the techniques and the major poets of the period 1700–1785 triumphantly to life. Sitter begins by offering a guide to poetic forms ranging from heroic couplets to blank verse, then demonstrates how skilfully male and female poets of the period used them as vehicles for imaginative experience, feelings and ideas. He then provides detailed analyses of individual works by poets from Finch, Swift and Pope, to Gray, Cowper and Barbauld. An approachable introduction to English poetry and major poets of the eighteenth century, this book provides a grounding in poetic analysis useful to students and general readers of literature.

'Reading this wonderful book is akin to sitting in on a master-class seminar taught by a sensible, affable teacher who is also a rigorous, respected scholar … Sitter has devoted his professional life to the study and teaching of eighteenth-century verse, and this book offers a rich yield of wisdom embedded within a wide range of attractive practical readings. Not to be missed by anyone interested in eighteenth-century poetry.'

A. W. Lee Source: Choice

'… aimed at both students and teachers of the field. Through a series of thematic chapters Sitter explores many of the key aspects of eighteenth-century poetry in terms of form, style, voice, and content.'

Source: The Eighteenth Century