James Boswell, Poems

Ian McGowan (University of Stirling)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.05: English Writing and Culture from the Glorious Revolution to the French Revolution, 1689-1789.
Vol. editors: Paul Baines (University of Liverpool), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Pat Rogers (University of South Florida), Nicholas Seager (University of Keele)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1758 - 1791

Places

Scotland (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Poem collection

Resources

Save to Bookshelf

Although Boswell is best known as a prose writer and there is no comprehensive edition of his poems, he was a prolific if miscellaneous versifier all his life. Many earlier pieces c. 1758-62 were printed from the Bodleian MS as

Boswell's Book of Bad Verse

(1974). These are obviously youthful productions – amorous, literary (prologues to plays), exercises in a variety of metrical and rhyming forms – none perhaps of lasting worth, but reflecting their lively gentleman-author and the peculiarly clubbable and literary environment of Scots lawyers. “A Poetical Epistle to Doctor Sterne, Parson Yorick and Tristram Shandy”, celebrates his meeting with the newly-famous clergyman-author:

My verses, be they good or ill Have been, dear foes – do laugh your fill – By Sterne approv'd;

Please log in to consult the article in its entirety. If you are a member (student of staff) of a subscribing institution (see List), you should be able to access the LE on campus directly (without the need to log in), and off-campus either via the institutional log in we offer, or via your institution's remote access facilities, or by creating a personal user account with your institutional email address. If you are not a member of a subscribing institution, you will need to purchase a personal subscription. For more information on how to subscribe as an individual user, please see under Individual Subcriptions.

195 words

Citation: McGowan, Ian. "Poems". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 January 2001 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=2714, accessed 04 May 2024.]

Save this article