Fair Gratitude! in strain sublime, Swell high to heaven thy tuneful zeal; And, hailing this auspicious time, Kneel, Adoration! kneel! For lo! the day, th’ immortal day, When Mercy’s full, benignant ray Chased every gathering cloud away, And pour’d the noon of light! Rapture! be kindling, mounting, glowing, While from thine eye the tear is flowing, Pure, warm, and bright! ’Twas on this day—oh, love divine!— The Orient Star’s effulgence rose; Then waked the Morn, whose eye benign Shall never...

The first standard edition of the writings of Felicia Hemans (1793-1835), this volume marks a revival of interest in, and a new critical appreciation of, one of the most important literary figures of the early nineteenth century. A best-selling poet in England and America, Felicia Hemans was regarded as leading female poet in her day, celebrated as the epitome of national "feminine" values. However, this same narrow perception of her work eventually relegated Hemans to an obscurity lighten...

Who was the bestselling English poet of the nineteenth century? No, not Tennyson or Byron or Wordsworth—but Felicia Hemans (1793–1835), “the most considerable woman poet of the Romantic period” and “the most notable British poet flourishing between the death of Byron and the rise of Tennyson and the Brownings” (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, 2008). With an unfailing and seemingly effortless command of language, she voiced the deepest concerns of ordinary people, especial...

Felicia Hemans (1793-1835), one of the most influential and widely-read poets of the nineteenth century, wrote Records of Woman in 1828 at the height of her long career. In the series, which includes nineteen poems about exemplary lives, Hemans explores what it means to be a woman, challenging traditional beliefs while at the same time reinforcing persistent stereotypes. Her work celebrates the lives, events, and imagined thoughts of unremembered women from different cultures and ...

In "The Poems of Felicia Hemans," the poet's evocative verses illuminate the themes of femininity, nature, and the sublime, reflecting the emotional landscapes of early 19th-century Romanticism. Hemans deftly employs lyrical language and rich imagery to explore the complex interplay of personal longing and national identity, as seen in works like "Casabianca" and "The Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers." This collection not only demonstrates her mastery of varied poetic forms but also situates...

In "The Poems of Felicia Hemans," the celebrated 19th-century poet encapsulates the emotional depth and complexity of feminine experience through a rich tapestry of themes such as love, nature, loss, and patriotism. Hemans employs a lyrical style, characterized by melodic rhythms and vivid imagery, often drawing from historical events and personal reflections. Her work is situated within the Romantic literary context, resonating with contemporaries like Wordsworth and Byron, yet distinctiv...

There are many poems in this 19th-century volume all written by the author. She began writing at a very young age and her subjects varied from prayers to God, to poems for her mother's birthday, to observations of nature among others. The volume is divided into groups of poems and opens with her earliest poems.

The Poems of Felicia Hemans by Mrs. Hemans is a timeless collection that showcases the lyrical beauty, emotional depth, and moral sensibility of one of the most celebrated poets of the 19th century. Hemans’ poetry combines elegance of expression with profound reflections on love, heroism, nature, and patriotism, offering readers both aesthetic pleasure and thoughtful insight.Through her evocative verses, Hemans explores themes of familial devotion,...

ContentsThe Arrow and the Song  HENRY W. LONGFELLOWThe Babie  JEREMIAH EAMES RANKINLet Dogs Delight to Bark and Bite  ISAAC WATTSLittle Things EBENEZER COBHAM BREWERHe Prayeth Best  SAMUEL T. COLERIDGETwinkle, Twinkle, Little Star  ANONYMOUSPippa ROBERT BROWNINGThe Days of the Month  AN OLD SONGTrue Royalty RUDYARD KIPLINGPlaying Robinson Crusoe RUDYARD KIPLINGMy Shadow ROBERT LOUI...

How did the Victorian woman cope with the image of herself as a writer?What were the constraints on female friendships in a world centred on the pre-eminence of the husband?How significant for an ambitious woman were her politics about men?At the heart of this book, originally published in 1990, is a friendship between two women: Jane Carlyle and the novelist Geraldine Jewsbury. But it was a difficult friendship, and in its difficulty lies much that is illuminating:...