Passion and Language in Eighteenth-Century Literature

" Wilputte deepens our understanding of three figures who are receiving increasing attention in eighteenth-century literary and cultural studies; fills in missing details in the story of the rise of sensibility by analyzing instances of sociable feeling from the first half of the century; and uncovers subtleties of figurative language in often overlooked texts by Haywood, Hill, and Fowke. This book is likely to find a readership among academics with an interest in eighteenth-century literature and culture as well as graduate and advanced undergraduate students who wish to explore the uses of affect-rich rhetoric across many genres. There is much insight to be gained from the close readings of the under-explored works selected from discussion. " - Kathryn R. King, Professor of English, University of Montevallo, USA

" Addressing the life and writing of a fractious coterie - Eliza Haywood, Martha Fowke, and Aaron Hill - Passion and Language in Eighteenth-Century Literature illuminates the sophisticated linguistic practices of this group as they seek to understand the psychology of the passions (including their own) and to craft the Longinian or ' aesthetic sublime. ' From Wilputte' s deft readings of the poetry, prose, and novels of these three writers emerges an important work of cultural history - rich in material for scholars investigating the early history of sensibility, sympathy and the sympathetic reader, generic experiments in psychological realism, and the physiology of the body stimulated by passion. " - Juliette Merritt, Professor of English, McMaster University, Canada