What do you think?
Rate this book
Charlotte Smith: Romanticism, poetry and the culture of gender
This book offers a thorough and complete reading of Charlotte Smith's poetry, arguing that we need to engage more directly with historical ideas of gender.
176 pages, Paperback
First published December 19, 2003
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 22, 2026
3.75⭐️ rounded up!
A relatively short but very insightful analysis of Charlotte Smith’s poetry, particularly her collection Elegiac Sonnets! Though I read this for research purposes, I eventually found myself engrossed (and intrigued!) by Labbe’s commentaries on Smith’s poems, offering perspectives I had not considered. I will admit it was hard to get into the dense chapters at first, though.
As the title suggests, Labbe’s conversation with ideas of gender offered a fresh perspective to Smith’s work, and is one I feel more criticism should consider. This was often enriched further by references to Smith’s rich, troubled biography.
Labbe’s close readings of some poems were incredibly thought provoking, and I genuinely enjoyed reading them. My favourite observations were regarding Sonnet LXV and Sonnet XCI, particularly in relation to the concept of the mother figure and themes of botany.
Overall, this was an absolutely fascinating read and I cannot wait to keep learning more about Charlotte Smith!
A relatively short but very insightful analysis of Charlotte Smith’s poetry, particularly her collection Elegiac Sonnets! Though I read this for research purposes, I eventually found myself engrossed (and intrigued!) by Labbe’s commentaries on Smith’s poems, offering perspectives I had not considered. I will admit it was hard to get into the dense chapters at first, though.
As the title suggests, Labbe’s conversation with ideas of gender offered a fresh perspective to Smith’s work, and is one I feel more criticism should consider. This was often enriched further by references to Smith’s rich, troubled biography.
Labbe’s close readings of some poems were incredibly thought provoking, and I genuinely enjoyed reading them. My favourite observations were regarding Sonnet LXV and Sonnet XCI, particularly in relation to the concept of the mother figure and themes of botany.
Overall, this was an absolutely fascinating read and I cannot wait to keep learning more about Charlotte Smith!
March 3, 2022
read for romanticism essay!
December 30, 2016
A fascinating study on Charlotte Smith's production and the ways in which she made use of gender(s). It requires close and attentive reading and it is so interesting. Will definitely be coming back to it.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews