Odes on Various Subjects [Early Romantic Poetry]

Warton, Joseph (1722-1800)

Published by Printed for R. Dodsley in Pall-mall; and sold By M. Cooper in Pater-noster-Row, London, 1746

About this Item

Modern green half calf, morocco spine lettering piece and spine stamped in gilt, marbled boards. 4to; 10.25 inches tall; [iv], 5-47 [blank]. First Edition, First Printing. Includes Warton's "Advertisement," with its declaration of commitment to "Invention and Imagination" in poetry. Attractively bound the bindings are tight and square; Text clean, light even toning. Minimal shelf handling wear. The spine and some of binding darkened, title page toned, else only lightly so; and very good. Binder s collation in pencil on recto of last page [blank]. First poetry collection by Warton and considered a precursor to the Romantic movement. Joseph Warton was an English critic and classical scholar who anticipated some of the critical tenets of Romanticism. His brother Thomas was poet laureate from 1785 to 1790. Warton was impatient with some aspects of Neoclassical poetry. His Odes on Various Subjects (1746) was an attempt to emphasize the role of imagination in verse. Fun Fact: He was not a successful schoolteacher and when the boys mutinied against him for the third time he wisely resigned his position. Warton's odes emphasize emotion, individual creativity, and a deep appreciation for nature, prefiguring the Romantic movement that would flourish later with poets like Wordsworth and Coleridge. His work inspired later poets to explore themes of personal expression, the sublime, and the beauty of the natural world, challenging the dominance of Augustan poetry. The odes cover a range of subjects, including poetry itself, imagination, solitude, and the power of nature, setting a precedent for later poets who sought to break free from strict poetic conventions. Warton's Odes on Various Subjects was not widely popular in its time, but it is now recognized as an important precursor to the Romantic era, demonstrating an early move away from the Enlightenment s emphasis on rationality and toward a more emotive and imaginative style. [Adapted from Sources] Ref: ESTC 6393202; Hayward 169.

Seller Inventory # 17157

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Odes on Various Subjects [Early Romantic Poetry]
• Publisher: Printed for R. Dodsley in Pall-mall; and sold By M. Cooper in Pater-noster-Row, London
• Publication Date: 1746
• Binding: Leather-bound Hardcover
• Edition: First Edition, First Printing.
• Condition: Very Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: No Dust Jacket, As Issued
• Seller catalogs:
  • LITERATURE: POETRY
  • MODERN LITERATURE
  • 18th CENTURY and EARLIER WORKS