Poem of the Day: ‘I Can in Groups These Mimic Flowers Compose’

In 1783, on her husband’s being remanded to debtor’s prison, Smith took up residence with him in his incarceration and there produced the first of her 10 novels.

The New York Sun

The novelist and poet Charlotte Turner Smith (1749–1806) married at 15, under duress, largely to ease her father’s straitened financial circumstances. In the course of a frequently turbulent marriage, she bore 12 children, six of whom lived to survive her. In 1783, on her husband’s being remanded to debtor’s prison, Smith took up residence with him in his incarceration and there produced the first of her 10 novels. Although prolific as a prose writer, she hoped that her literary reputation would rest on her Elegiac Sonnets. This 91st of those sonnets, adhering to the Shakespearan ababcdcdefefgg rhyme scheme, resists the impulse of the ekphrastic poem to dwell on a work of art. Instead, the sonnet highlights the triviality and futility of artistic endeavor in the face of human loss. 

Have an account? Log In

To continue reading, please select:

Limited Access

Enter your email to read for FREE

Get 1 FREE article

Continue with
or
Unlimited Access

Join the Sun for a PENNY A DAY

$0.01/day for 60 days

Cancel anytime

100% ad free experience

Unlimited article and commenting access

Full annual dues ($120) billed after 60 days

By continuing you agree to our
Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
Advertisement
The New York Sun

© 2025 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use