When Thomas Moore first conceived of writing his long Oriental poem, Lalla Rookh, he was already a poet of some popularity. By early 1812, when the “long poem” is first mentioned in his correspondence, four numbers of the increasingly successful and popular Irish Melodies had been published. He had also composed a number of collections of short poems, satires and musical works, and had recently completed the libretto for a comic opera entitled M.P. or The Blue-Stocking. Evidently seeking a challenge, Moore decided to embark on a lengthier and more ambitious project, fusing two phenomena that had recently begun to capture the imagination of the reading public: the long poem and the Oriental setting.
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Citation: Tonra, Justin. "Lalla Rookh". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 23 September 2008 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=24841, accessed 22 November 2024.]
