Matthew Prior, Alma: or, The Progress of the Mind

Pat Rogers (University of South Florida)

Ed. by Nicholas Seager, University of Keele
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 1718 - 1718

Places

England (Country of Origin; Publication/ performance)

Genres and Modes

Poem

Resources

Matthew Prior’s Alma, a philosophic comedy in verse, is generally considered one of the poet’s most substantial and impressive works. It came late in his career, first appearing in his Poems on Several Occasions (1718), a collection published by Jacob Tonson and John Barber with the support of influential patrons such as Lord Bathurst and Lord Harley (later second Earl of Oxford), as well as friends such as John Arbuthnot and Alexander Pope. The author gave careful attention to the text and, since it was never reprinted in his lifetime, apart from a derivative Dublin edition in 1719, the earliest version remains authoritative. At least ten further editions of the Poems appeared over the course of …

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1274 words

Citation: Rogers, Pat. "Alma: or, The Progress of the Mind". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 28 July 2020 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=39330, accessed 19 April 2024.]

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