Literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...

of the 18th century refers to world literature produced during the years 1700–1799.

European literature in the 18th century

European literature Western literature, also known as European literature, is the literature written in the context of Western culture in the languages of Europe, and is shaped by the periods in which they were conceived, with each period containing prominent weste ...

of the 18th century refers to literature (poetry, drama, satire, essays, and novels) produced in Europe during this period. The 18th century saw the development of the modern novel as literary genre, in fact many candidates for the first novel in English date from this period, of which

Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe (; born Daniel Foe; 1660 – 24 April 1731) was an English writer, merchant and spy. He is most famous for his novel ''Robinson Crusoe'', published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its number of translati ...

's 1719 '' Robinson Crusoe'' is probably the best known. Subgenres of the novel during the 18th century were the epistolary novel, the sentimental novel, histories, the

gothic novel Gothic fiction, sometimes referred to as Gothic horror (primarily in the 20th century), is a literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name of the genre is derived from the Renaissance era use of the word "gothic", as a pejorative to mean ...

and the libertine novel. 18th century Europe started in the

Age of Enlightenment The Age of Enlightenment (also the Age of Reason and the Enlightenment) was a Europe, European Intellect, intellectual and Philosophy, philosophical movement active from the late 17th to early 19th century. Chiefly valuing knowledge gained th ...

and gradually moved towards

Romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...

. In the visual arts, it was the period of

Neoclassicism Neoclassicism, also spelled Neo-classicism, emerged as a Western cultural movement in the decorative arts, decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiq ...

The Enlightenment

The 18th century in Europe was the Age of Enlightenment, and literature explored themes of social upheaval, reversals of personal status, political satire, geographical exploration and the comparison between the supposed natural state of man and the supposed civilized state of man.

Edmund Burke Edmund Burke (; 12 January ew Style, NS1729 – 9 July 1797) was an Anglo-Irish Politician, statesman, journalist, writer, literary critic, philosopher, and parliamentary orator who is regarded as the founder of the Social philosophy, soc ...

, in his '' A Vindication of Natural Society'' (1756), says: "The Fabrick of Superstition has in this our Age and Nation received much ruder Shocks than it had ever felt before; and through the Chinks and Breaches of our Prison, we see such Glimmerings of Light, and feel such refreshing Airs of Liberty, as daily raise our Ardor for more."

Translations

Translations of foreign-language works became ever-more ubiquitous in Europe in the 18th century. Works translated from French to English and vice versa were particularly common, but works written in nearly all major world languages, from Arabic to Greek, likewise proliferated. In 1708, Simon Ockley translated Ibn Tufail's '' Hayy ibn Yaqdhan'' directly from Arabic to English for the first time, while Michael Wodhull was the first to translate all the extant writing of

Euripides Euripides () was a Greek tragedy, tragedian of classical Athens. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three ancient Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived in full. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to ...

into English, with his work published in four volumes in 1782. Translations in the eighteenth century were typically liberal and loose, as it was common for translators to alter the text to appeal more to their intended audience and to add their own original work to it. John Lockman, for example, described his French translations as "versions" to indicate the large changes he'd made to the original text. Unclear labeling further complicated matters, resulting in complicated translation loops. In some cases, works of fiction were translated from French to English and, later, from English back into French, with the second translator being unaware that the work they were translating was not the original. Notable eighteenth-century translators from Asia included Sugita Genpaku, who translated the Dutch medical work '' Kaitai Shinsho'' into Japanese in 1774, making it among the first Western works to be translated in Japan.

English literature in the 18th century by year

1700–1709

1700: William Congreve's play '' The Way of the World'' premiered. Although unsuccessful at the time, ''The Way of the World'' is a good example of the sophistication of theatrical thinking during this period, with complex subplots and characters intended as ironic parodies of common

stereotype In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalization, generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can ...

s. 1703: Nicholas Rowe's domestic drama ''The Fair Penitent'', an adaptation of Massinger and Field's ''Fatal Dowry'', appeared; it would later be pronounced by Dr Johnson to be one of the most pleasing tragedies in the language. Also in 1703 Sir Richard Steele's comedy ''The Tender Husband'' achieved some success. 1704:

Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish writer, essayist, satirist, and Anglican cleric. In 1713, he became the Dean (Christianity), dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, and was given the sobriquet "Dean Swi ...

(Irish satirist) published ''

A Tale of a Tub ''A Tale of a Tub'' was the first major work written by Jonathan Swift, composed between 1694 and 1697 and published in 1704. The ''Tale'' is a prose parody divided into sections of "digression" and a "tale" of three brothers, each representin ...

'' and '' The Battle of the Books'' and John Dennis published his ''Grounds of Criticism in Poetry''. ''The Battle of the Books'' begins with a reference to the use of a glass (which, in those days, would mean either a

mirror A mirror, also known as a looking glass, is an object that Reflection (physics), reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror forms an image of whatever is in front of it, which is then focused through the lens of the eye or a camera ...

or a magnifying glass) as a comparison to the use of satire. Swift is, in this, very much the child of his age, thinking in terms of

science Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...

and

satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of exposin ...

at one and the same time. Swift often patterned his satire after

Juvenal Decimus Junius Juvenalis (), known in English as Juvenal ( ; 55–128), was a Roman poet. He is the author of the '' Satires'', a collection of satirical poems. The details of Juvenal's life are unclear, but references in his works to people f ...

, the classical satirist. He was one of the first English novelists and also a political campaigner. His satirical writing springs from a body of liberal thought which produced not only books but also political pamphlets for public distribution. Swift's writing represents the new, the different and the modern attempting to change the world by parodying the ancient and incumbent. ''The Battle of the Books'' is a short writing which demonstrates his position very neatly. 1707:

Henry Fielding Henry Fielding (22 April 1707 – 8 October 1754) was an English writer and magistrate known for the use of humour and satire in his works. His 1749 comic novel ''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'' was a seminal work in the genre. Along wi ...

was born on 22 April. 1711:

Alexander Pope Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early ...

began a career in literature with the publishing of his '' An Essay on Criticism''. 1712: French philosophical writer Jean Jacques Rousseau was born on 28 June and his countryman

Denis Diderot Denis Diderot (; ; 5 October 171331 July 1784) was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer, best known for serving as co-founder, chief editor, and contributor to the along with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. He was a prominent figure during th ...

was born the following year 1713 on 5 October. Also in 1712 Pope published '' The Rape of the Lock'' and in 1713 ''Windsor Forest''. 1709:

Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson ( – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, literary critic, sermonist, biographer, editor, and lexicographer. The ''Oxford ...

was born on 18 September in Lichfield,

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...

1710–1719

1717:

Horace Walpole Horatio Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford (; 24 September 1717 – 2 March 1797), better known as Horace Walpole, was an English Whig politician, writer, historian and antiquarian. He had Strawberry Hill House built in Twickenham, southwest London ...

was born on 24 September.

was another political pamphleteer turned novelist like Jonathan Swift and was publishing in the early 18th century. In 1719, he published '' Robinson Crusoe''. 1719: Eliza Haywood published '' Love in Excess'', an unusually sympathetic portrayal of a fallen woman. Also in 1719: Alexander Smith was a biographer who published ''A Complete History of the Lives and Robberies of the Most Notorious Highwaymen''. The book includes heavily fictionalised accounts of English criminals from the medieval period to the eighteenth century.

1720–1729

1720:

's '' Captain Singleton'' was published. 1722: Daniel Defoe's '' Moll Flanders'' and '' A Journal of the Plague Year'' were published. 1726: Jonathan Swift published ''

Gulliver's Travels ''Gulliver's Travels'', originally titled ''Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships'', is a 1726 prose satire by the Anglo-Irish writer and clerg ...

'', one of the first novels in the genre of

. 1728:

John Gay John Gay (30 June 1685 – 4 December 1732) was an English poet and dramatist and member of the Scriblerus Club. He is best remembered for ''The Beggar's Opera'' (1728), a ballad opera. The characters, including Captain Macheath and Polly Peach ...

wrote '' The Beggar's Opera'' which has increased in fame ever since. ''The Beggar's Opera'' began a new style in Opera, the "ballad opera" which brings the operatic form down to a more popular level and precedes the genre of comic operettas. Also in 1728 came the publication of '' Cyclopaedia, or, A Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences'' (folio, 2 vols.), an encyclopedia by Ephraim Chambers. The ''Cyclopaedia'' was one of the first general encyclopedias to be produced in English and was the main model for

Diderot Denis Diderot (; ; 5 October 171331 July 1784) was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer, best known for serving as co-founder, chief editor, and contributor to the along with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. He was a prominent figure during t ...

's ''

Encyclopédie , better known as ''Encyclopédie'' (), was a general encyclopedia published in France between 1751 and 1772, with later supplements, revised editions, and translations. It had many writers, known as the Encyclopédistes. It was edited by Denis ...

'' (published in France between 1751 and 1766). 1729: Jonathan Swift published '' A Modest Proposal'', a satirical suggestion that Irish families should sell their children as food. Swift was, at this time, fully involved in political campaigning for the Irish.

1730–1739

1731: George Lillo's play '' The London Merchant'' was a success at the Theatre-Royal in

Drury Lane Drury Lane is a street on the boundary between the Covent Garden and Holborn areas of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of London Borough of Camden, Camden and the southern part in the City o ...

. It was a new kind of play, a domestic tragedy, which approximates to what later came to be called a

melodrama A melodrama is a Drama, dramatic work in which plot, typically sensationalized for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodrama is "an exaggerated version of drama". Melodramas typically concentrate on ...

. 1738:

published ''

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

'', a poem in imitation of Juvenal’s Third Satire. Like so many poets of the 18th century, Johnson sought to breathe new life into his favorite classical author Juvenal.

1740–1749

1740: Samuel Richardson's '' Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded'' was published and the Marquis de Sade was born. 1744: Alexander Pope died, and in 1745 Jonathan Swift died. 1746: Tobias Smollett's first poem "''The Tears of Scotland''", about the Battle of Culloden, was published. 1748: John Cleland's '' Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure'' (popularly known as ''

Fanny Hill ''Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure'' – popularly known as ''Fanny Hill'' – is an erotic novel by the English novelist John Cleland first published in London in 1748 and 1749. Written while the author was in debtors' prison in London,Wagne ...

''), arguably the first work of pornographic prose, was published. Also in 1748, Samuel Richardson's '' Clarissa; or, The History of a Young Lady'' was published; finally, Tobias Smollett's first picaresque quasi-autobiographical novel '' The Adventures of Roderick Random'' was also published. 1749:

's ''

The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling ''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', often known simply as ''Tom Jones'', is a comic novel by English playwright and novelist Henry Fielding. It is a ''Bildungsroman'' and a picaresque novel. It was first published on 28 February 1749 in ...

'' was published. His sister Sarah Fielding also published '' The Governess'', the first full-length novel written for children.

1750–1759

1751:

Thomas Gray Thomas Gray (26 December 1716 – 30 July 1771) was an English poet, letter-writer, and classics, classical scholar at Cambridge University, being a fellow first of Peterhouse then of Pembroke College, Cambridge, Pembroke College. He is widely ...

wrote ''

Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard ''Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard'' is a poem by Thomas Gray, completed in 1750 and first published in 1751. The poem's origins are unknown, but it was partly inspired by Gray's thoughts following the death of the poet Richard West in 1742 ...

''. Also in 1751, Denis Diderot began the '' Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers''. Over the next three decades ''Encyclopédie'' attracted, alongside of those from Diderot, notable contributions from other notable intellectuals of the 18th century including

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778), known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' Voltaire (, ; ), was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, philosopher (''philosophe''), satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit ...

Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Republic of Geneva, Genevan philosopher (''philosophes, philosophe''), writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment through ...

and Louis de Jaucourt. 1754:

died. 1755: Samuel Johnson completed his influential '' Dictionary of the English Language'', sometimes published as ''Johnson's Dictionary'', and at the time a huge improvement on previously available dictionaries. It was a daunting task that took nine years in all, two years of preparation and seven years of research and writing.

1760–1769

1760–1767: Laurence Sterne wrote '' Tristram Shandy''. 1761: Samuel Richardson died. 1764:

published '' The Castle of Otranto'' (initially under a pseudonym and claiming it to be a translation of an Italian work from 1529); the first

. 1766: Oliver Goldsmith's '' The Vicar of Wakefield'' was published.

1770–1779

1770:

William Wordsworth William Wordsworth (7 April 177023 April 1850) was an English Romantic poetry, Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romanticism, Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication ''Lyrical Balla ...

was born on 7 April. 1771: Tobias Smollett published his epistolatory novel, '' The Expedition of Humphry Clinker'' just three months before his death. 1773: Oliver Goldsmith's play '' She Stoops to Conquer'', a

farce Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical comedy, physical humor; the use of delibe ...

, was performed in

. 1776: The

United States Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America in the original printing, is the founding document of the United States. On July 4, 1776, it was adopted unanimously by the Second Continen ...

was created and ratified. 1777: The play '' The School for Scandal'', a

comedy of manners In English literature, the term comedy of manners (also anti-sentimental comedy) describes a genre of realistic, satirical comedy that questions and comments upon the manners and social conventions of a greatly sophisticated, artificial society. ...

by Richard Brinsley Sheridan, was first performed in Drury Lane. 1778: Frances Burney published '' Evelina'' anonymously. 1779–1781: Samuel Johnson wrote and published '' Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets''. This compilation contains short biographies of 52 influential poets (most of whom lived in the 18th century) along with critical appraisals of their works. Most notable are Alexander Pope,

John Dryden John Dryden (; – ) was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who in 1668 was appointed England's first Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, Poet Laureate. He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration (En ...

, John Milton, Jonathan Swift, and

Joseph Addison Joseph Addison (1 May 1672 – 17 May 1719) was an English essayist, poet, playwright, and politician. He was the eldest son of Lancelot Addison. His name is usually remembered alongside that of his long-standing friend Richard Steele, with w ...

1780–1789

1783:

Washington Irving Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He wrote the short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and "The Legend of Sleepy ...

was born. 1784:

died on 13 December. 1785: William Cowper published '' The Task'', a volume of poetry in blank verse. 1786:

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the List of national poets, national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the be ...

published '' Poems Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect''. The mood of literature was swinging toward more interest in diverse ethnicity. Beaumarchais' ''The Marriage of Figaro'' ('' La Folle journée ou Le Mariage de Figaro'') was adapted into a comic opera composed by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

, with

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

by Lorenzo da Ponte. 1789: '' The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano'', one of the first slave narratives to have been widely read in historical times, was published. Also in 1789, James Fenimore Cooper was born on 15 September.

1790–1799

1792: Percy Bysshe Shelley was born on 4 August. 1793: ''

Salisbury Plain Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in southern England covering . It is part of a system of chalk downlands throughout eastern and southern England formed by the rocks of the Chalk Group and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, but st ...

'' was published by

. 1794: Ann Radcliffe published her most famous

Gothic novel Gothic fiction, sometimes referred to as Gothic horror (primarily in the 20th century), is a literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name of the genre is derived from the Renaissance era use of the word "gothic", as a pejorative to mean ...

, '' The Mysteries of Udolpho''. 1795:

Samuel Taylor Coleridge Samuel Taylor Coleridge ( ; 21 October 177225 July 1834) was an English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian who was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets with his friend William Wordsworth ...

met

and his sister Dorothy. The two men published a joint volume of poetry, '' Lyrical Ballads'' (1798), which became a central text of Romantic poetry. 1796: Matthew Lewis published his controversial anti-Catholic gothic novel '' The Monk'' and Charlotte Smith published her novel '' Marchmont''. Also in 1796, Mary Hays published her outspoken novel '' Memoirs of Emma Courtney''.

Other literature in the 18th century by year

1700-1739

From 1704 to 1717, Antoine Galland published '' One Thousand and One Nights'' (also known as ''The Arabian Nights'' in English), based on Arabian folk tales.Jacob W. Grimm (1982). ''Selected Tales '' pg 19. Penguin Classics His version of the tales appeared in twelve volumes and exerted a huge influence on subsequent

and attitudes to the

Islamic world The terms Islamic world and Muslim world commonly refer to the Islamic community, which is also known as the Ummah. This consists of all those who adhere to the religious beliefs, politics, and laws of Islam or to societies in which Islam is ...

. Galland's translation of the ''Nights'' was immensely popular throughout Europe, and later versions of the ''Nights'' were written by Galland's publisher using Galland's name without his consent. In 1707, playwright Carlo Goldoni was born. In 1729,

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (; ; 22 January 1729 – 15 February 1781) was a German philosopher, dramatist, publicist and art critic, and a representative of the Enlightenment era. His plays and theoretical writings substantially influenced the dev ...

was born. In 1731, '' Manon Lescaut'', a French novel by the Abbé Prévost that narrates the love affairs of an unmarried couple and inaugurates one of the most common themes of the literature of the time: the sentimental story, taking into account for the first time the female point of view and not only the courtship and the conquest or the failure of man.

1740–1769

1743 Gavrila Derzhavin was born. 1752 '' Micromégas'', a satirical short story by

, features space travellers visiting Earth. It is one of the first stories to feature several elements of what will later become known as

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

. Its publication at this time is also indicative of the trend toward scientific thinking that characterizes the Enlightenment. 1759

's ''

Candide ( , ) is a French satire written by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment, first published in 1759. The novella has been widely translated, with English versions titled ''Candide: or, All for the Best'' (1759); ''Candide: or, The ...

''/''Optimism'' was published. On November 10, Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller is born. 1761 Jean Jacques Rousseau's '' Julie, ou la nouvelle Héloïse'' was published. 1762 Jean Jacques Rousseau's '' Émile'' was published. 1767 September 8: August Wilhelm von Schlegel was born.

1770–1800

1772 March 10: Karl Wilhelm Friedrich von Schlegel was born. *German poet

Novalis Georg Philipp Friedrich Freiherr von Hardenberg (2 May 1772 – 25 March 1801), pen name Novalis (; ), was a German nobility, German aristocrat and polymath, who was a poet, novelist, philosopher and Mysticism, mystic. He is regarded as an inf ...

was born. 1774

Goethe Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...

wrote '' The Sorrows of Young Werther'', a novel which approximately marks the beginning of the

movement in the

arts The arts or creative arts are a vast range of human practices involving creativity, creative expression, storytelling, and cultural participation. The arts encompass diverse and plural modes of thought, deeds, and existence in an extensive ...

and

philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

. A transition thus began from the critical, science-inspired, Enlightenment writing to the romantic yearning for forces beyond the mundane and for foreign times and places to inspire the

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

with passion and mystery. Also in 1774, Alberto Fortis published his travel book '' Viaggio in Dalmazia'' ("Journey to Dalmatia") and started Morlachism. 1776 Ignacy Krasicki published the first novel in Polish, '' The Adventures of Mr. Nicholas Wisdom''. 1778 Death of

, 30 May. Death of Jean Jacques Rousseau, 2 July. Two major contributors to Diderot's ''Encyclopédie'' died in the same year. 1784

died 31 July. Voltaire, Rousseau and Diderot have all died within a period of a few years, and French

had thus lost three of its greatest enlightened free thinkers. Rousseau's thoughts on the nobility of life in the wilds, facing nature as a naked savage, still had great force to influence the next generation as the Romantic movement gained momentum. Beaumarchais wrote '' The Marriage of Figaro''. Maria and Harriet Falconar publish '' Poems on Slavery''. The anti-slavery movement was growing in power, and many poems and pamphlets were published on the subject. 1791 '' Dream of the Red Chamber'' was published for the first time in

movable type Movable type (US English; moveable type in British English) is the system and technology of printing and typography that uses movable Sort (typesetting), components to reproduce the elements of a document (usually individual alphanumeric charac ...

format. 1793 August 25:

John Neal John Neal (August 25, 1793 – June 20, 1876) was an American writer, critic, editor, lecturer, and activist. Considered both eccentric and influential, he delivered speeches and published essays, novels, poems, and short stories between the 1 ...

was born. 1796

's '' Jacques le fataliste'' was published posthumously.

References

External links

* {{Authority control History of literature

European literature in the 18th century

The Enlightenment

Translations

English literature in the 18th century by year

1700–1709

1710–1719

1720–1729

1730–1739

1740–1749

1750–1759

1760–1769

1770–1779

1780–1789

1790–1799

Other literature in the 18th century by year

1700-1739

1740–1769

1770–1800

See also

References

External links