Abstract
In this essay, Adam Bridgen argues that the oft-condemned “sycophancy” of James Woodhouse’s early poetry is a misapprehension that overlooks the emergence of his evangelical, egalitarian beliefs in the mid-1760s. Reconsidering the letters between Woodhouse and his patrons reveals not only the influential friendships he cultivated as a plebeian poet but also the class prejudices he continued to encounter and resist, often forcefully. Although he conformed to a humble self-portrayal in his 1764 and 1766 Poems, Woodhouse’s subversion of praise allowed him to criticize as well as commend elite behavior; viewing benevolence as a Christian duty faithful to the more equal society that God had intended, he praised patronage, in fact, for its leveling potential.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 99-134 |
Number of pages | 36 |
Journal | Huntington Library Quarterly |
Volume | 80 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 22 Mar 2017 |
Keywords
- Eighteenth century
- Patronage
- Poetry
- Social class and status
- Epistolary Cultures
- Radicalism
- Gardens
- Methodism