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the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
 
 
 
 

Record Number: 21616


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

' [Johnson said] You may find wit and humour in verse, and yet no poetry. "Hudibras" has a profusion of these; yet it is not to be reckoned a poem. 'The Spleen', in Dodsley's "Collection", on which you say he chiefly rested, is not poetry'.

Century:

1700-1799

Date:

Until: 10 Apr 1776

Country:

n/a

Time

n/a

Place:

n/a

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown


Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Samuel Johnson

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

18 Sep 1709

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

writer

Religion:

Anglican

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

n/a

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

Ibbot

Title:

'Fit of the Spleen, A'

Genre:

Poetry

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown


Source Information:

Record ID:

21616

Source:

Print

Author:

James Boswell

Editor:

R.W. Chapman

Title:

Life of Johnson

Place of Publication:

Oxford

Date of Publication:

1980

Vol:

n/a

Page:

744

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

James Boswell, R.W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson, (Oxford, 1980), p. 744, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=21616, accessed: 26 April 2024


Additional Comments:

Original date of publication 1791. Dodsley's 'Collection' was a book edited by him, 'A Collection of Poems by Several Hands'. This poem is in the collection, though there is a more notable one called 'The Spleen' by Anne Finch, Countess of Winchilsea. The author was possibly Benjamin Ibbot?

   
   
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