Della Cruscans

Literary/ Cultural Context Note

Mary O'Connell (University College Cork)

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)

Domains

Movements, styles and periods (literature)

Dates

Date of occurrence 1785-1828

Places

United Kingdom (Location)
Italy (Involved)

Genres and Modes

Poetry (any)

Resources

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The Della Cruscans were a group of poets active in Italy and England in the 1780's and 90's. The name derives from the Accademia della Crusca which had been founded in 1582 to protect the purity of the Italian language. Della Cruscan verse is typically ornate, excessively sentimental and liberal. The movement originated in Florence with a group of British writers and Italian patriots, led by Robert Merry and including William Parsons and Hester Thrale Piozzi. They published

The Arno Miscellany

(1784) and

The Florence Miscellany

(1785). As the verse was often published in

The European Magazine

, the Della Cruscans became known in England. On his return from Italy Merry published a poem entitled “Adieu and Recall to Love” which appeared in

The World

in June 1787 under the name ‘Della…

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260 words

Citation: O'Connell, Mary. "Della Cruscans". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 17 July 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=7186, accessed 23 April 2024.]

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