author
Myra Reynolds
1853–1936
A pioneering American literary scholar, she wrote with unusual depth about English poetry and women’s intellectual history. Her work helped open academic space for serious study of both canonical poets and overlooked women writers.
2 Audiobooks
The Learned Lady in England, 1650-1760
by Myra Reynolds
About the author
Born in Troupsburg, New York, in 1853, Myra Reynolds studied at Vassar College and went on to build a distinguished career as a teacher and scholar of English literature. She became closely associated with the University of Chicago, where she taught for many years and rose to the rank of full professor.
Reynolds is best remembered for books such as The Treatment of Nature in English Poetry between Pope and Wordsworth and The Learned Lady in England, 1650–1760. Her writing combined close literary study with a wider interest in intellectual and cultural history, especially the place of women in learned life.
She died in 1936, but her work still stands out for its seriousness, range, and early contribution to literary scholarship by and about women. For listeners interested in criticism, literary history, and the long tradition of women’s education, she remains a rewarding figure to discover.