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Anna Seward
1742–1809
Remembered as the “Swan of Lichfield,” this English poet was admired in her own time for vivid verse, sharp literary opinions, and a remarkable gift for friendship and correspondence. Her life connected the worlds of eighteenth-century sensibility and early Romantic writing.
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About the author
Born in Eyam, Derbyshire, in 1742, Anna Seward grew up in a household that valued learning. When her father became a canon of Lichfield Cathedral, the family moved to Lichfield, where she spent most of her life and became a well-known figure in the city’s literary circle.
She wrote poetry, criticism, and a large number of letters, and during her lifetime she was widely known as the "Swan of Lichfield." Among the works she is especially remembered for are Elegy on Captain Cook and Monody on Major Andre. Her friendships and correspondence linked her with many notable writers and thinkers of her age.
Although she is less famous now than she was in her own day, Seward remains important as a poet and letter-writer whose work offers a lively picture of literary culture in late eighteenth-century Britain. Her writing is often noted for its emotional intensity, social insight, and strong, confident voice.