The Farmer’s Boy; A Rural Poem, in Four Books, published in 1800, was the first book of poetry by the Suffolk shoemaker
Robert Bloomfield (1766-1823). This e-book presents the text of the first edition, including the preface and notes by
Capel Lofft and the illustrations by
Thomas Bewick.
Bloomfield, nearly forgotten now, was a great success in his own time, admired, for instance, by John Constable, John Clare, Robert Southey and William Wordsworth (whose
Lyrical Ballads The Farmer's Boy outsold "
by more than ten to one.")
I am not alone in thinking that Bloomfield doesn't deserve to be forgotten. The editions and materials "Romantic Circles" provides are well worth a look. The best starting point is
this wonderful introduction by Tim Fulford to their electronic edition of Bloomfield's letters.
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