Eighteen Hundred and Eleven

"Eighteen Hundred and Eleven" by Mrs. Barbauld is a poem published in 1812. Written while Britain fought Napoleon and faced possible defeat, this Juvenalian satire shocked readers by predicting Britain's decline and America's rise to greatness. Barbauld directly linked this fall to the devastating costs of the Napoleonic Wars. The poem's pessimistic vision sparked outrage across the political spectrum, silencing one of Britain's most prominent literary voices and ending her publishing career forever.

Summary written by Project Gutenberg, by machine.