1740 in poetry
—first stanza of James Thomson's "Rule, Britannia", written for the masque Alfred
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature.
Works published
Great Britain">English poetry">Great Britain
- Sarah Dixon, Poems on Several Occasions, Canterbury: J. Abree
- John Dyer, The Ruins of Rome
- Richard Glover, An Apology for the Life of Mr. Colley Cibber
- Christopher Pitt, The Aeneid of Virgil
- Aquila Rose, Poems on Several Occasions, English Colonial America
- James Thomson, Alfred, including "Ode in Honour of Great Britain," that is, "Rule Britannia"
- Francis Tolson, ''Hermathenæ, Or Moral Emblems, and Ethnick Tales, with Explanatory Notes''
Other
- Johann Jakob Bodmer, Von dem Wunderbaren in der Poesie a German-language critical treatise published in Switzerland
Births
Death years link to the corresponding " in poetry" article:- February 4 - Carl Michael Bellman, Swedish poet
- April 10 - Basílio da Gama, Brazilian
- August 15 - Matthias Claudius, German
- September 2 - Johann Georg Jacobi, German
- November 4 - Augustus Montagu Toplady, English clergyman and hymn-writer; an opponent of John Wesley; author of the hymn "Rock of Ages"
- Also:
- * Charlotte Brooke, Irish poet
- * Samuel Henley English clergyman, school teacher, college principal, antiquarian, writer and poet
- * Thomas Moss, English clergyman and poet
- * Christoph Friedrich Sangerhausen, German
Deaths
Death years link to the corresponding " in poetry" article:- April 23 - Thomas Tickell, English poet and man of letters
- December 11 - Sidonia Hedwig Zäunemann, German
- date not known - John Adams, English Colonial American clergyman and poet
- date not known - Jane Brereton, English poet notable as a correspondent to The Gentleman's Magazine
- date not known - Upendra Bhanja, poet of Oriya Literature and awarded the title "Kavi-Samrata" - "The Emperor of the Poets"
- date not known - Amalia Wilhelmina Königsmarck, Swedish poet