Miscellanies, Poetry, and Authorship, 1680-1800

The book "Miscellanies, Poetry, and Authorship, 1680-1800" offers a critical analysis of the poetic miscellanies of the late 17th and 18th centuries, which are considered precursors to contemporary anthologies. It argues that miscellanies represent a unique form of literary compilation and that their popularity from 1680 to 1800 had far-reaching effects on poets, publishers, and readers of poetry. This study expands the definition of miscellanies to include both collections by individual authors and the traditionally researched collections of multiple authors. It highlights how miscellanies fostered various types of literary communities and examines the often-overlooked role of individual author miscellanies in the self-fashioning of 18th-century writers. Additionally, it analyzes the relationships between miscellanies and periodicals, as well as their contribution to the formation of the literary canon.