"Elegiac Sonnets and Other Poems" by Charlotte Turner Smith is a collection of melancholic and reflective poetry that explores themes of love, loss, and nature. Smith's lyrical language and emotive imagery create a poignant and introspective atmosphere throughout the book.

The elegiac sonnets stand out as the most moving and powerful poems in the collection, showcasing Smith's ability to evoke deep emotions and convey profound sentiments through her words. Her exploration of grief and longing is both heartbreaking and beautiful, making each sonnet a heartfelt and memorable reading experience.

In addition to the elegiac sonnets, the other poems in the collection also demonstrate Smith's skill as a poet. From contemplations on the passage of time to meditations on the beauty of the natural world, each poem offers a unique perspective and poetic expression.

Overall, "Elegiac Sonnets and Other Poems" is a beautifully crafted collection that will appeal to readers who appreciate poetry that delves into the complexities of the human experience. Charlotte Turner Smith's poetic voice is both haunting and captivating, leaving a lasting impression on those who immerse themselves in her work.

Book Description:

Charlotte Turner Smith (1749 – 1806) was an English poet and novelist. She initiated a revival of the English sonnet, helped establish the conventions of Gothic fiction, and wrote political novels of sensibility.

It was in 1784, in debtor’s prison with her husband Benjamin, that she wrote and published her first work, Elegiac Sonnets. The work achieved instant success, allowing Charlotte to pay for their release from prison. Smith’s sonnets helped initiate a revival of the form and granted an aura of respectability to her later novels.

Stuart Curran, the editor of Smith’s poems, has written that Smith is “the first poet in England whom in retrospect we would call Romantic”. She helped shape the “patterns of thought and conventions of style” for the period. Romantic poet William Wordsworth was the most affected by her works. He said of Smith in the 1830s that she was “a lady to whom English verse is under greater obligations than are likely to be either acknowledged or remembered”. By the second half of the nineteenth century, however, Smith was largely forgotten.