As I was working on adding titles currently not in the catalog, I discovered a lecture on the Great Courses series: The Lives and Works of the English Romantic Poets with the above title. So I looked them up, not having been aware of any, since they were never mentioned in my college course on the Romantics or anywhere else that I’ve noticed. According to a chapter titled The Romantic Period by Peter Kitson (a Chair of English at a Scottish university,) in a work edited by Paul Poplawski titled English Literature in Context, one of these female poets is Mary Robinson. Mary was an actress and courtesan as well as a poet, and some of her poems were written in response to Coleridge’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” and “Kubla Khan”. I found this information fascinating, as women seem to receive short shrift in being recognized as writers and poets, at least in the 1700’s. I’m not sure if this continues today; I’d like to think society has progressed in its kudos given to women writers and poets. But when I think of “famous” writers, names like James Patterson come more readily to mind than Janet Evanovitch. Any thoughts?
