|
The Romantic poet, memorialist and letter writer, Anna Seward, came to Lichfield in 1750 when her father was appointed Canon Residentiary of Lichfield Cathedral, eventually occupying the Bishop's Palace, her home for the remainder of her life.
Anna formed an early close relationship with Honora Sneyd, who was adopted by the Sewards as a child. Their painful separation when Honora married Richard Lovell Edgeworth in 1773 prompted some of Anna's finest work. Anna herself had many offers of marriage, but never married. Devoted to caring for her sick father, she endured what she referred to as her "old-maidism", building a renowned literary coterie around herself and encouraging young, talented writers with support, advice and even money.
Her poem, the Elegy on Captain Cook, (1780) first brought Anna to national attention and gained her the title; the 'Swan of Lichfield'. There followed a poetical novel, Louisa, a volume, Llangollen Vale and a collection of sonnets. She collaborated with Dr Darwin, writing the exordium for his own major work, The Botanic Garden, and published his biography, Memoirs of the Life of Dr Darwin, on his death in 1802. As her renown grew, Anna corresponded with Henry Cary, Robert Southey and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
Anna died in 1809, leaving her poetic works for Walter Scott to publish. She also left six volumes of letters which she had carefully edited for publication. These, as in her poetry, describe the major events in her life and also theorise on various contemporary issues. Her talent for anecdote provides wonderful historical detail in an accessible format.
After almost two hundred years of neglect, her poetry is now more favourably acknowledged and is beginning to reappear in Romantic anthologies. A monument to Anna Seward, the Swan of Lichfield, can be found in the Cathedral.
Our thanks to Teresa Barnard for this information.
|
