Women Poets of the Romantic Period

Abstract

Abstract The cultural status and aesthetic merit of a few women poets in the Romantic period have been discussed in a variety of ways, depending on each critic ‘s theoretical viewpoint as well as on the availability of each woman author ‘s texts. Most of the women ‘s poetry that was published between 1785 and 1832 was available only in specialist libraries until the publication of Roger Lonsdale ‘s Eighteenth-Century Women Poets: An Oxford Anthology in 1989. Lonsdale reprinted a wide-ranging selection of women ‘s poetry published up to 1800. My subsequent Women Romantic Poets, 1785-1832: An Anthology reprints an innovative selection from the work of twenty-five competent and interesting women poets from the entire Romantic period. My anthology contains biographical and historical notes as well as a useful ‘Introduction ‘. Andrew Ashfield ‘s Romantic Women Poets extends the Romantic period from 1770 to 1838. He provides annotated selections that represent his version of ‘Romanticism ‘ from thirtyfour women poets, but he has reprinted only excerpts from most of his chosen longer poems.