Charlotte Smith and Early British Romanticism: Her Writing, Her Critics, Her Influence
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Charlotte Smith and Early British Romanticism: Her Writing, Her Critics, Her Influence by Brent Raycroft Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia June 1996 © copyright by Brent Raycroft, 1996 National Library Bibliotheque nationale 1*1 of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Direction des acquisitions et Bibliographic Services Branch des services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa (Ontario) K1A0N4 K1A0N4 Yourltle Votre reference Our file Notre reference The author has granted an L'auteur a accorde une licence irrevocable non-exclusive licence irrevocable et non exclusive allowing the National Library of permettant a la Bibliotheque Canada to reproduce, loan, nationale du Canada ae distribute or sell copies of reproduire, prefer, distribuer ou his/her thesis by any means and vendre des copies de sa these in any form or format, making de quelque maniere et sous this thesis available to interested quelque forme que ce soit pour persons. mettre des exemplaires de cette these a la disposition des personnes interessees. The author retains ownership of L'auteur conserve la propriete du the copyright in his/her thesis. droit d'auteur qui protege sa Neither the thesis nor substantial these. Ni la these ni des extraits extracts from it may be printed or substantiels de celle-ci ne otherwise reproduced without doivent etre irnprimes ou his/her permission. autrement reproduits sans son autorisation. ISBN 0-612-15900-0 Canada ' i Name RZ&TT RfiHCfloFr Dissertation Abstracts International and Masters Abstracts International are arranged by brc- general subject categories. Please select the one subject which rnos! nearly describes the content of your dissertation or the -'•.. Enter the corresponding four-digit code in the spaces provided. WTftfATO&F. WUliti 5 7 1UMI SUBJECT TERM SUBJECT CODE Subject Categories THE HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS hyehology 0525 PHILOSOPHY, RELIGION AND Ancient 0579 Architecture 0729 Wading.'. 053S THEOLOGY Medieval 0581 ArtHntery 0377 Religious 0527 Philosophy 0422 Modern 0582 G'nema 0900 Sciences 0714 Religion Black 0328 Secondary 0533 Dance 0378 General 0318 African 0331 Fine Arts 0357 Social Sciences 0534 Biblical Studies 0321 Asia, Australia and Oceania 0332 Information Science 0723 Sociology of 0340 Clergy 0319 Canadian 0334 Journalism 0391 Special 0529 History of 0320 European 0335 Library Science 0399 Teocher Training 0530 Philosophy of 0322 Latin American ...0336 Mass Communications 0708 Technology 0710 Theology 0469 Middle Eastern 0333 Music 0413 Tests cKKTMeasurements 0288 United Stales 0337 Speech Communication 0459 Vocational 0747 SOCIAL SCIENCES History of Science 0585 Law. 0398 Theater 0465 American Studies 0323 LANGUAGE, UTERATURE AND Political Science EDUCATION LINGUISTICS Archoeology 0324 General 0615 General 0515 Language Cultural 0326 International Law and Admin ishatici 0514 Geriiral 0679 Physical 0327 Relations 0616 Adult and Continuing 0516 Ancient 0289 Business Administration Public Administration 0617 Agricultural 0517 Linguistics 0290 General 0310 Recreation 0814 Art 0273 Modem 0291 Accounting 0272 Social Work 04i2 Bilingual and Multicultural 0282 Literature Banking 0770 Sociology Business 0688 General 0401 Management 0454 General 0626 Community College 0275 Classical.. 0294 Marketing 0338 Criminology and Penology... 0627 Curriculum ana Instruction 0727 Comparative 0295 Canadian Studies 0385 Demography 0938 Earty Childhood 0518 Medieval 0297 Economics Ethnic and ferial Studies 0631 Elementary 0524 Modem 0298 General 0501 Individual and Family Finance 0277 African 0316 Agricultural 0503 Studies 0628 Guidance and Counseling 0519 American 0591 Commerce-Business 0505 Industrial and Labor Health ... 0680 Asian 0305 Finance 0508 Rations 0629 Higher 0745 Canadian (English) 0352 History 0509 P'yriic and Social Welfare ....0630 HiSor) of 0520 Canadian (French) 0355 Labor 0510 Social Structure and Home Economics 0278 English. 0593 Theory 0511 Development 0700 Industrial 0521 Germanic 0311 Folklore 0358 Theory and Methods 0344 Language and Literature 0279 Latin American 0312 Geography 0366 Transportation 0709 Mathematics 0280 Middle Eastern 0315 Gerontology ....0351 Urban and Regional Planning ....0999 Music 0522 Romance 0313 History Women's Studies 0453 Philosophy of 0998 Slavic and East European 0314 General 0578 Physical 0523 THE SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES Geodesy 0370 Speech Pathology 0460 Engineering Agriculture Geology 0372 Toxicology 0383 General 0537 General 0473 Geophysics 0373 Home Economics 0386 Aerospace 0538 Agronomy 0285 Hydrology 0388 Agricultural 0539 Animal Culture and Mineralogy 0411 PHYSICAL SCIENCES Automotive 0540 Paleobotany 0345 Biomedical 0541 Nutrition 0475 Pure Sciences Paleoeeology 0426 Chemical 0542 Animal Pathology 0476 Chemistry Food Science and Paleontology 0418 Ovil 0543 Paleozoology 0985 General 0485 Electronics and Electrical 0544 Technology 0359 Agricultural 0749 Forestry «*d Wildlife 0478 Pafynology 0427 Heat and Thermodynamics ...0348 Analytical 0486 Plant Culture 0479 Physical Geography 0368 Hydraulic 0545 Biochemistry 0487 Plant Pathology 0480 Physical Oceanography 0415 Industrial 0546 Inorganic 0488 Plant Physiology 0817 Marine 0547 Nuclear 0738 Range Management 0777 HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL Materials Science 0794 Organic 0490 Wood Technology 0746 SCIENCES Mechanical 0548 Pharmaceutical 0491 Metallurgy 0743 Biology Environmental Sciences 0768 General 0306 Physical 0494 Mining 0551 Health Sciences Polymer 0495 Anatomy 0287 General 0S66 Nuclear 0552 Bioslatislics 0308 Radiation 0754 Packaging 0549 Audiology 0300 Mathematics 0405 Botany 0309 Chemotherapy 0992 Petroleum 0765 Cell... 0379 Physics Sanitary and Municipal 0554 Dentistry 0567 General 0605 Ecology 0329 Education 0350 System Science 0790 Entomology 0353 Acoustics 0986 Geolechnology 0428 Hospital Management 0769 Genetics 0369 Astronomy and Operations Research 0796 Human Development 0758 Limnology 0793 Astrophysics.. 0606 Plastics Technology 0795 Immunology 0982 Atmospheric Science 0608 Mifjol/iology 0410 Textile Technology 0994 Median* and Surgery 0564 Atomic. 0748 Molecular!. 0307 Mental Health 0347 Electronics and Electricity 0607 Neuroscience 0317 Nursing 0569 PSYCHOLOGY Oceanography 0416 Elementary Particles ana General 0621 Nutrition 0570 High Energy 0798 WiysioioiyT.... 0433 Behavioral 0384 Obstetrics and Gynecology ..0380 Fluidand Plasma 0759 Radiation. 0821 Clinical 0622 Occupational Health ana Molecular 0609 Veterinary Science 0778 Developmental 0620 Therapy 0354 Nuclear 0610 Zook>gy.. 0472 Experimental 0623 Ophtlvalmology 0381 Optics 0752 Biophysics Pathology 0571 Industrial 0624 Mineral 0786 Radiation 0756 Personality 0625 Phanriacolagy 0419 Solid Slate 0611 Medical 0760 Pharmacy 0572 Physiological 0989 Statistics 0463 Psychobiology 0349 Physical Therapy 0382 Psychometric! 0632 EARTH SCIENCES Public Health 0573 Applied Sciences Btogeochemislry 0425 Radiology 0574 Applied Mechanics 0346 Social 0451 Geochemistry 0996 Recreation 0575 Computer Science 0984 t, k Contents Table of Contents Abstract Acknowledgements Epigraphs Chapter One Introduction Chapltr Two The Figure of the Author and Other Biographical Matters Chapter Three The Critical Heritage ... Chapter Four Charlotte Smith and Jane Austen Chapter Five Samuel Taylor Coleridge, W L Bowles, and Charlotte Smith's Elegiac Sonnets Chapter Six Charlotte Smith and William Wordsworth- The Overcoming of Melancholy Chapter Seven Charlotte Smith and William Wordsworth Gender, Genre and Politics Chapter Eight Charlotte Smith and William Wordsworth Blank Verse, Fiction, and Later Influences Conclusion Works Cited or Consulted iv I I Abstract This dissertation advances the study of an author famous in her own time but only recently rediscovered by literary criticism. My three main objectives are to supply a thorough critical heritage of Charlotte Smith, to examine the processes involved in her gradual, disappearance and her more sudden revival, and to secure her place in the literary history of early British Romanticism by showing in detail her influence on her younger contemporaries, primarily Jane Austen and William Wordsworth. In my introductory chapter I suggest some of the more problematic implications of Smith's recanonization and propose a method for examining her influence in the present critical moment, when influence (anxious or otherwise) is under pressure from the broader notion of intertextuality. Chapter two focuses on biographical matters, including the autobiographical tendency in Smith's writing ana the disproportionate emphasis sometimes placed on her "life" at the expense of her "work." This chapter also surveys Smith's surprisingly extensive literary acquaintance. Chapter three is a critical history, beginning with Smith's earliest general evaluations as a writer and following her critical fortunes through the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Chapter four examines the influence Smith exerted, through her fiction and her poetry, on the young Jane Austen. Chapter five is a deconstructive exercise analyzing Samuel Taylor Coleridge's admiration of William Lisle Bowles and the role this relationship has played in obscuring Charlotte Smith's significance for early Romanticism. My final three chapters explore various aspects of Smith's extensive and yet subdued influence o.i William Wordsworth. These three chapters are closely inter-related,