Philosophical Connections

Exploring the connections between Neoclassical and Romantic verse cultures, this book focuses on mid-eighteenth-century poet Mark Akenside and his influential work, Pleasures of Imagination. It argues that Akenside's poetry reveals significant continuities between the two movements, challenging the notion of their opposition. By positioning verse as a competitor to philosophy, Akenside emphasizes the importance of feeling over factual knowledge, ultimately illustrating how imagination serves as a bridge between these literary traditions.