The Art of English Poetry (1708)

A concise yet thorough guide to the craft of English verse, this handbook opens with a systematic set of rules that treat prosody as a disciplined art. It walks readers through the mechanics of syllable counts, meter, and the heroic couplet—once the dominant form for serious poetry—while offering clear explanations for why certain stanza structures fell out of favor. The first part also presents a practical rhyming dictionary, limited to words deemed suitable for heroic poetry, giving aspiring poets a ready‑made toolbox for composition.

Beyond the technicalities, the volume includes a poetical commonplace arranged alphabetically by theme, drawing on the most admired lines from the era’s leading writers. By gathering “most natural, agreeable, and noble thoughts,” it shows how great poets shaped their ideas into memorable couplets. Though conceived for the polite letters of the eighteenth century, the work’s influence rippled through generations, becoming a reference point for figures from Pope to Blake and marking a pivotal moment in the formal study of English poetry.