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Sentimental Poetry

Lyric and Short Poetic Forms

Sentimental poetry is a melodramatic poetic form aimed primarily at stimulating the emotions rather than at communicating experience truthfully, with bereavement a common theme. Friedrich Schiller discussed the form in his influential essay On Naive and Sentimental Poetry, and Romantic poetry is rooted in and springs from the sentimental tradition; the style was later parodied by Mark Twain in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Facts
Partially Attested
Place of Origin
England 1
Based on the article's statement that Charlotte Turner Smith was the first poet in England to be called romantic, and that Romantic poetry springs from the sentimental tradition; the article does not state a single country of origin directly.
Notable Example
Union Square by Sara Teasdale 1
Defining Trait
A melodramatic poetic form aimed primarily at stimulating the emotions rather than at communicating experience truthfully 1
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Sentimental poetry
  • Main section
    Charlotte Turner Smith is the first poet in England to be called romantic.
  • Lead section
    Sentimental poetry is a melodramatic poetic form aimed primarily at stimulating the emotions rather than at communicating experience truthfully.
  • Main section [notable-example]
    Sara Teasdale was praised for her lyrical mastery and romantic subjects.
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