PREFACE. Of the Selections which have been made from the chaos of our past Poetry, the majority has been confined almost entirely to the writings of men; and from the great Collections of the English Poets, where so many worthless compositions find a place, the productions of women have been carefully excluded. The small quantity of female effusions, and their concealment in obscure publications, have perhaps contributed to this neglect; and the object of the present volume is to exhibit the growth and progress of the genius of our country-women in the department of Poetry. It is true that the grander inspirations of the Muse have not been often breathed into 197892 |