1840 in poetry

Events

Works published in English

United Kingdom">English poetry">United Kingdom

• Thomas Aird, Orthuriel, and Other Poems
• Matthew Arnold, Alaric at Rome
• Robert Browning, Sordello
• Caroline Clive, under the pen name "V", IX Poems by 'V'
• Thomas De Quincey, Recollections of the Lake Poets, final two essays on the Lake Poets published in Tait's Edinburgh Magazine :
• * "Westmoreland and the Dalesmen," January
• * "Society of the Lakes, I, II, and III," January, March, and June
• Frederick William Faber, The Cherwell Water-Lily, and Other Poems
• Monckton Milnes, Poetry for the People
• Thomas Moore, The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore, in 10 volumes, published starting this year and ending in 1841; Irish poet published in the United Kingdom
• Robert Owen, The Social Bible
• Percy Bysshe Shelley, edited by Mary Shelley, Essays, Letters from Abroad, Translations and Fragments, including the essay "Defence of Poetry", posthumously published
• William Wordsworth, The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth, six volumes

  Other in English

• Philip Pendleton Cooke, "Florence Vane", a popular ballad, often anthologized, written for the author's cousin; first published in Burton's Gentleman's Magazine at Edgar Allan Poe's request; United States
• Thomas Moore, The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore, in 10 volumes, published starting this year and ending in 1841; Irish poet published in the United Kingdom
• Frances Sargent Osgood, The Casket of Fate, United States
• Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, "The Wreck of the Hesperus", in New World, January 10, United States

  Works published in other languages

• Hans Christian Andersen, Jeg er en Skandinav, Denmark
• José de Espronceda, Poesías, including complete version of El estudiante de Salamanca, Spain
• Abraham Emanuel Fröhlich, Ulrich Zwingli, Switzerland
• Victor Hugo, Les Rayons et les Ombres, France
• Mikhail Lermontov, Mtsyri, Russia
• Taras Shevchenko, Kobzar, Russia
• Henrik Wergeland, Jan van Huysums Blomsterstykke, Norway

  Births

• January 13 - Nicholas Flood Davin, Irish-born Canadian lawyer, journalist, politician and poet
• January 18 - Henry Austin Dobson, English poet and essayist
• February 2 - Griffith Williams , Welsh poet
• March 5 - Constance Fenimore Woolson, American novelist, short-story writer and poet; a grandniece of James Fenimore Cooper
• March 18 - William Cosmo Monkhouse, English poet and critic
• June 2 - Thomas Hardy, English novelist and poet
• August 17 - Wilfred Scawen Blunt, English poet and writer
• September 20 - Ellen Mary Clerke, Irish author, journalist, poet and science writer
• October 5 - John Addington Symonds, English poet and literary critic

  Deaths

• June 7 - Népomucène Lemercier, French poet and playwright
• June 12 - Gerald Griffin, Irish novelist, poet and playwright
• July - Goronwy Owen, Welsh poet
• July 7 - Nikolai Stankevich, Russian philosopher and poet