Evaluating Eighteenth Century Poetry Essay

Evaluating eighteenth century poetry is not an easy task. After all, the use of language, the cultural references, and the metaphors used then might be a little too different from what are being used now. As such, it would be necessary to take into account the usage of the language—the construction, the idioms being used then, as well as the different expressions being used then. The following points outline several points in reading, enjoying, and evaluating poetry in the eighteenth century. I. Introduction: The authors who wrote poetry in the eighteenth century should be reviewed briefly so that a student may gain some familiarity to 18th century poetry. II. Historical Context and State of the Art. A brief description of the social situation in the period will also be in order as these would lend color and appearance to the poetic inspirations and situations depicted in the poetry then. III. Literary Devices. In evaluating poetry, the reader should be on the lookout for several literary devices such as metaphors, similes, and personification among others. These would also point to the topics and themes explored then. These literary devices can then be analyzed internally as to their effectiveness in conveying the poem’s message during the period. IV. Â  Language. The language of the eighteenth century is far different from today. As such, it would be necessary to look into the language used, the manner of sentence construction as well as the overall usage and popularity of the language then. Finally, there could also be a way to trace the legacy of these poetry to poetry today.