1778 in poetry
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature.
Works published in English
United Kingdom">English poetry">United Kingdom
- John Codrington Bampfylde, Sixteen Sonnets
- William Combe, The Auction
- George Ellis, writing under the pen name "Sir Gregory Gander", Poetical Tales
- William Hayley, A Poetical Epistle to an Eminent Painter, published anonymously; addressed to George Romney
- Vicesimus Knox, Cursory Thoughts on Satire and Satirists, a critical essay
- John Scott, Moral Eclogues, published anonymously
- Percival Stockdale, Inquiry into the Nature and Genuine Laws of Poetry; including a particular Defence of the Writings and Genius of Mr. Pope
- John Wolcot, writing under the pen name "Peter Pindar", ''A Poetical, Supplicating, Modest and Affecting Epistle to those Literary Colossuses the Reviewers''
United States">American poetry">United States
- Joel Barlow, The Prospect of Peace
- William Billings, Chester
- Francis Hopkinson:
- * "The Battle of the Kegs", United States
- * "Date Obolum Bellisario"
- * "The Birds, the Beasts, and the Bat"
Works published in other languages
- Ippolit Bogdanovich, Dushenka, a long poem and his best-known work, Russia
- Johannes Ewald, Kong Christian stod ved höjen Mast, a popular song in his melodrama The Fishermen, which later became the Danish national anthem
- Johann Gottfried Herder - Volkslieder nebst untermischten anderen Stücken
- Évariste de Parny - ''Les Poésies érotiques''
Births
Death years link to the corresponding " in poetry" article:- February 6 - Ugo Foscolo, Italian writer, revolutionary and poet
- April 10 - William Hazlitt, English writer, essayist and critic
- August 22 - James Kirke Paulding, American novelist, poet and United States Secretary of the Navy; a writer for Salamagundi magazine who took it over before it failed
- September 9 - Clemens Brentano, German poet and novelist
- December 22 - Anna Maria Porter, English poet and novelist
- Robert Davidson, Scottish peasant poet
Deaths
Birth years link to the corresponding " in poetry" article:- May 30 - Voltaire, French Enlightenment writer, poet, essayist and philosopher
- August 11 - Augustus Toplady, English Anglican clergyman, poet and hymn-writer
- Rob Donn, Scottish Gaelic poet