What do you think?
Rate this book
The Anne Finch Wellesley Manuscript Poems: A Critical Edition
The publication of the Wellesley manuscript marks the first complete edition of fifty-three poems by the most talented and significant woman poet of the Restoration and eighteenth century. Anne Finch (1661-1720) wrote most of these poems in the last decade of her life, and they are essential to a complete evaluation of her work.This authoritative edition, edited by Barbara McGovern and Charles H. Hinnant, is useful for scholars as well as general readers of eighteenth-century poetry and women's literature. It contains textual notes, commentary, and an introduction that examines many of the issues relevant to Finch's poetry, including political climate, literary milieu, personal circumstances, and gender awareness. The editors also discuss Finch's devotional verse and her poetry in praise of female friendship, offering new insight into her attitudes toward these themes.
These poems were not published during Finch's lifetime nor in a posthumous collection and subsequently fell into obscurity until the manuscript resurfaced in the twentieth century. McGovern and Hinnant suggest that this had to do with the dangerous political environment in England, particularly following the Jacobite rebellion of 1715.
Not only do these poems help to define Finch's stature as a poet, they also provide a valuable perspective on the politics of the early woman writer.
These poems were not published during Finch's lifetime nor in a posthumous collection and subsequently fell into obscurity until the manuscript resurfaced in the twentieth century. McGovern and Hinnant suggest that this had to do with the dangerous political environment in England, particularly following the Jacobite rebellion of 1715.
Not only do these poems help to define Finch's stature as a poet, they also provide a valuable perspective on the politics of the early woman writer.
- GenresPoetry
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1713
105 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 10, 2021
Man, you gotta love academic writing from the past. The 1910s academics gave NO fucks. ‘This chick is boring AF and I’m not afraid to say it’. Or, in pre-WWI phraseology, “There is no hint of interest in nature, no tenderness, no lightness, almost no beauty or grace. The poems are marked instead by a crude virility.” Leaving aside the clear demarcation of what is and isn’t ‘women’s work’, this critique is not wrong.
Wordsworth was apparently a fan, but given my antipathy to Wordsworth (William, anyway), that’s not a point in Anne's favour. He says ‘her style in rhyme is often admirable, chaste, tender, and vigorous, and entirely free from sparkle’. This is absolutely true, but YMMV on whether you find this a good thing or not.
Unfortunately, my reading experience was way more in line with Myra Reynolds’ than I expected. Anne is a pompous bore, whose stated goal to never be bitchy or funny means she’s prosy and prissy instead. There’s absolutely nothing beautiful or remarkable in her poetry and her plays are – like her contemporary Aphra Behn’s – confusing and not worth the effort.
The Introduction:
“And Education’s, more than Nature’s fools,
Debarr’d from all improvements of the mind,
And to be dull, expected and designed.”
That’s fair.
The Preface:
“[…] been like those imperfect penitents, who are ever relenting, and yett ever returning to the same offences.”
Gloves. Thrown. Real talk, though, the problem with calling other people bitches is that it’s a bitchy thing to do!
Ardelia to Melancholy:
“These failing, I invok’d the Muse,
And Poetry wou’d often use,
To guard me from thy Tyrant pow’r;
And to oppose thee ev’ry hour
New troops of fancy’s, did I chuse,
Alas! in vain, for all agree
To yeild me Captive up to thee,
And heav’n, alone, can sett me free.”
Pretty accurate description of depression to be fair.
A Letter to the Same Person:
“Love without Poetry’s refining Aid
Is a dull bargain, and but coarsely made;
Nor e’er cou’d Poetry successful prove,
Or touch the Soul, but when the Sense was Love.”
The Goute and Spider: rather amusing.
A Description of One of the Pieces of Tapestry at Long-Leat:
“Where, yet we see Astonishment reveal’d,
Tho’ by the Aged often ‘tis conceal’d;
Who the Emotions of their Souls disguise,
Lest by admiring they shou’d seem less wise.”
She’s a big fan of writing poetic commentaries on pieces of art. It’s rarely enlivening.
Enquiry After Peace:
“Love (if such a thing there be)
Is all Despair, or Extasie,
Poetry’s the feav’rish Fit,
Th’ o’erflowing of unbounded Wit.”
Methinks she was crossed in love at some point, fidelity to the Count notwithstanding.
La Passion Vaincue:
“[…] some Flashings of Pride
At length pull’d her back, and she cry’d, Why this Strife,
Since the Swains are so many, and I’ve but One Life?”
Thank you. This.
Timely Advice to Dorinda:
“For Witt but faintly will inspire
Unless with Beauty joyn’d
And when our Eyes have lost their fire
Tis uselesse in the Mind.
Be then advis’d and now remove
All farther thoughts about itt.
Sinch youth we find’s too short for Love
Though Life’s too long without itt.”
Ouch.
The Jester and the Little Fishes:
“A Jest, well tim’d, though from a worthless Man
Often obtains, more than true merit can.”
You said it, Anne.
She’s super classist, as per ‘The Brass-Pot, and Stone Jugg’ and ‘The Owl Describing Her Young Ones’. To be expected, I suppose.
All Is Vanity:
“As Vain is Beauty, and as short her Power;
Tho’ in its proud, and transitory Sway,
The coldest Hearts and wisest Heads obey
That gay fantastic Tyrant of an Hour.”
Methinks Anne was not doing Hot Girl Stuff.
To Death is probably the best of her poems. The less said about the plays, the better. Myra Reynolds, let’s chat about this in hell.
Wordsworth was apparently a fan, but given my antipathy to Wordsworth (William, anyway), that’s not a point in Anne's favour. He says ‘her style in rhyme is often admirable, chaste, tender, and vigorous, and entirely free from sparkle’. This is absolutely true, but YMMV on whether you find this a good thing or not.
Unfortunately, my reading experience was way more in line with Myra Reynolds’ than I expected. Anne is a pompous bore, whose stated goal to never be bitchy or funny means she’s prosy and prissy instead. There’s absolutely nothing beautiful or remarkable in her poetry and her plays are – like her contemporary Aphra Behn’s – confusing and not worth the effort.
The Introduction:
“And Education’s, more than Nature’s fools,
Debarr’d from all improvements of the mind,
And to be dull, expected and designed.”
That’s fair.
The Preface:
“[…] been like those imperfect penitents, who are ever relenting, and yett ever returning to the same offences.”
Gloves. Thrown. Real talk, though, the problem with calling other people bitches is that it’s a bitchy thing to do!
Ardelia to Melancholy:
“These failing, I invok’d the Muse,
And Poetry wou’d often use,
To guard me from thy Tyrant pow’r;
And to oppose thee ev’ry hour
New troops of fancy’s, did I chuse,
Alas! in vain, for all agree
To yeild me Captive up to thee,
And heav’n, alone, can sett me free.”
Pretty accurate description of depression to be fair.
A Letter to the Same Person:
“Love without Poetry’s refining Aid
Is a dull bargain, and but coarsely made;
Nor e’er cou’d Poetry successful prove,
Or touch the Soul, but when the Sense was Love.”
The Goute and Spider: rather amusing.
A Description of One of the Pieces of Tapestry at Long-Leat:
“Where, yet we see Astonishment reveal’d,
Tho’ by the Aged often ‘tis conceal’d;
Who the Emotions of their Souls disguise,
Lest by admiring they shou’d seem less wise.”
She’s a big fan of writing poetic commentaries on pieces of art. It’s rarely enlivening.
Enquiry After Peace:
“Love (if such a thing there be)
Is all Despair, or Extasie,
Poetry’s the feav’rish Fit,
Th’ o’erflowing of unbounded Wit.”
Methinks she was crossed in love at some point, fidelity to the Count notwithstanding.
La Passion Vaincue:
“[…] some Flashings of Pride
At length pull’d her back, and she cry’d, Why this Strife,
Since the Swains are so many, and I’ve but One Life?”
Thank you. This.
Timely Advice to Dorinda:
“For Witt but faintly will inspire
Unless with Beauty joyn’d
And when our Eyes have lost their fire
Tis uselesse in the Mind.
Be then advis’d and now remove
All farther thoughts about itt.
Sinch youth we find’s too short for Love
Though Life’s too long without itt.”
Ouch.
The Jester and the Little Fishes:
“A Jest, well tim’d, though from a worthless Man
Often obtains, more than true merit can.”
You said it, Anne.
She’s super classist, as per ‘The Brass-Pot, and Stone Jugg’ and ‘The Owl Describing Her Young Ones’. To be expected, I suppose.
All Is Vanity:
“As Vain is Beauty, and as short her Power;
Tho’ in its proud, and transitory Sway,
The coldest Hearts and wisest Heads obey
That gay fantastic Tyrant of an Hour.”
Methinks Anne was not doing Hot Girl Stuff.
To Death is probably the best of her poems. The less said about the plays, the better. Myra Reynolds, let’s chat about this in hell.
Displaying 1 of 1 review