Christopher Smart, Hymns For The Amusement of Children

Neil Curry (Independent Scholar - Europe)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.05: English Writing and Culture from the Glorious Revolution to the French Revolution, 1689-1789.
Vol. editors: Paul Baines (University of Liverpool), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Pat Rogers (University of South Florida), Nicholas Seager (University of Keele)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1771

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Poem collection

Resources

It could be argued that children’s literature did not properly begin until 18^th June 1744, when John Newbery, Christopher Smart’s father-in-law, published his A Little Pretty Pocket Book. There had been books of poetry for children before this, but for the most part they had had a marked Calvinist streak to them, viewing children as fallen creatures, damned by the sin of Adam from their birth, and so needing to be warned of the perils of hell. Newbery’s revolution was that he declared his book to be for the Amusement of children and while there are Morals and Rules of Life after each little verse, the overall effect is light-hearted and on every page there is a little woodcut of …

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1410 words

Citation: Curry, Neil. "Hymns For The Amusement of Children". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 14 May 2008 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=24351, accessed 23 November 2024.]

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