1786 in poetry

Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature.

Events

July 31 - Scottish poet Robert Burns' Scottish Dialect is published by John Wilson in Kilmarnock. The volume proves so popular that Burns abandons his plans to emigrate to Jamaica on September 1 for a post as a bookkeeper on a slave plantation and on November 27-28 journeys on a borrowed pony from Mossgiel Farm for his first visit to Edinburgh. Two weeks later he extemporises his "Address to a Haggis" which is first published on December 20 in the Caledonian Mercury.

Jane Bowdler, Poems and Essays, "By a Lady Lately Deceased", 17 editions by 1830)
Robert Burns
* Poems Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect Including:
** "Epitaph for James Smith"
** "To A Mouse, on Turning Her Up in Her Nest, with the Plough"
** "To a Mountain Daisy"
** "Address to the Deil"
** "The Cotter's Saturday Night"
* "On Dining with Lord Daer"
Hannah Cowley, The Scottish Village; or, Pitcairn Green
Samuel Rogers, An Ode to Superstition, with Some Other Poems, published anonymously
Helen Maria Williams, Poems
John Wolcot, writing under the pen name "Peter Pindar":
* Bozzy and Piozzi; or, The British Biographers, 19 editions by 1788
* Farewel Odes. For the Year 1786
* ''A Poetical and Congratulatory Epistle to James Boswell''

Philip Freneau, The Poems of Philip Freneau, Written Chiefly During the late War, United States
Joseph Brown Ladd, The Poems of Arouet
John Parke, The Lyric Works of Horace to Which Are Added a Number of Original Poems, poetry, drama and prose; including "Ovid's Elegies and Anacreon's Odes", translations by David French (poet), United States

Solomon Gessner, works, translated into French from the original German of the Swiss poet; in three volumes, published starting this year, with the last volume published in 1793

Death years link to the corresponding " in poetry" article:

Birth years link to the corresponding " in poetry" article:

January 17 - Edward Thompson, known as "Poet Thompson", English naval commodore and poet, dies onboard HMS Grampus off West Africa
May 2 - Petronella Johanna de Timmerman, Dutch poet and scientist
June 2 - Dugald Buchanan, Scottish religious poet writing in Gaelic
July 14 - John Collier, known by the pseudonym "Tim Bobbin", English caricaturist and satirical poet