Ossian

Literary/ Cultural Context Essay

Dafydd Moore (University of Plymouth)
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In December 1761 James Macpherson published

Fingal:An Ancient Epic Poem in Six Books; Together with Several other Poems by Ossian, son of Fingal

. In March 1763 he repeated the trick with

Temora: An Ancient Epic Poem in Eight Books; Together with Several other Poems by Ossian, son of Fingal

. One of the most important works of the movement of Sensibility and a seminal text for the early Romantic movement, the enthusiasm and controversy generated by the poems, and the influence they had upon two generations of European writers, artists and musicians, made Ossian one of the most important names in English literature in the second half of the eighteenth century. Ossian provoked extreme responses - most were bowled over by the poems, at least for a time, while others were hostile – but he…

2541 words

Citation: Moore, Dafydd. "Ossian". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 06 October 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1287, accessed 19 March 2024.]

1287 Ossian 2 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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