Pastoralism and Nationalism in the Poems of Charlotte Smith: Analyzing Elegiac Sonnets and Beachy Head Amelia Coen College

‘Alas! Can tranquil nature give me rest,/ Or scenes of beauty, soothe me to repose?’ (Charlotte Smith)

Within this quote, Smith questions whether the force of nature and beautiful surrounds will have a profound and calming affect, allowing her to reach a state of serenity. The concept of nature was a popular topic of critical discourse in the 18th century, with many Romantic poets’ considering it their well of inspiration. Referring to nature within their work allowed the Romantic writer to discuss the relationship between beauty and the sublime, thus resulting in insightful emotional observations. Despite her somewhat recent inclusion in the Romantic cannon, Charlotte Smith is regarded as one of the most prominent female writers of the 18th century. For example, Wordsworth and Coleridge credit Smith for the revival of popular and critical interest in the sonnet[1]. The emotional connection between nature and the poet is a key topic within Smith’s works, with her poems being, naturally, rather emotionally charged due to her depressive state of mind whilst composing her sonnet sequence; Angela Keane states that, “The purpose of Smith’s work is not just to represent misery but to enact and recoup the emotional and material...