Drum roll please...

Today marks day one of my research process on Charlotte Smith (1749-1806):

After exploring the works of various romantic authors in my British Literature book the one that appealed to me the most was Charlotte Smith. Though I was previously unfamiliar with her works, I found her poetry and boasts on equality very intriguing. From the start of my research blog, I had decided I really wanted to select an author that produced deep, meaningful poetry. Charlotte Smith seemed to fit that mold almost perfectly with the interesting motives she possessed in all of her writing. Much of her work was considered to reflect the views of Mary Wollstonecraft and Anna Levitia Barbauld, which were both feminist authors I have previously read. This connection makes me feel like I can empathize much better with Smith and her poetry from already learning about how the woman of her time really felt. In fact, in my literature book I recently read that Mary Wollstonecraft and Anna Levitia Barbauld were both major influences and inspirations in Charlotte Smith's writing. Their contributions to the revival of sonnet form in poetry served as a major contribution to the romantic era of literature. I enjoyed reading the works of Smith because though she had a constant theme of typical romantic characteristics in her works, she also incorporated her own personal life. This greatly questioned the gender roles of her time by using a common time-honored form of writing to create powerful meaning. I have found her style extremely inventive and inspiring. In addition to the deep and powerful meanings woven into her works, Smith's emphasis on nature and it's importance reflected numerous romantic beliefs while also transforming her poetry into a beautiful arrangement of words. Her interesting observations and questions that arise from reading her works makes me excited to further explore and research them.