Abstract
Robert Southey's Annual Anthology, which aimed to present a selection of current poetry and drew largely on his own friends and acquaintances, ran for just two volumes between 1799 and 1800. Although critics have shed light on individual poems and relationships among key contributors, there has been little attempt to consider the anthology project in the round. This essay provides an overview of the production and contents of the two volumes before examining in detail Southey's role as editor. His apparently random ‘mixed arrangement’ perturbed contemporary reviewers, but I argue that Southey took the job of editor seriously and thought carefully about which poems to place side by side. The essay proposes and illustrates four types of contiguity to explain the different effects he achieved by juxtaposing particular poems. What one of his closest friends described as a ‘hash’ is revealed as a much cleverer, altogether more artful editorial construct.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
