“The Gothick Hero” in Context: Poetry and Politics  in Early Eighteenth-Century England

Katarzyna Kozak

doi:10.31648/pl.10918

Published: 2025-10-30

No. 13 (2025)

“The Gothick Hero” in Context: Poetry and Politics in Early Eighteenth-Century England

Katarzyna Kozak

Papers in Literature

Section: Between countries

https://doi.org/10.31648/pl.10918

Abstract

Sweden and its prominent monarchs had captured the attention of English political and literary circles as early as the seventeenth-century conflict between King and Parliament. However, this interest intensified notably at the dawn of the eighteenth century. This heightened focus can be attributed to the political climate in Europe, marked by division and involvement in two significant conflicts: the War of the Spanish Succession and the Great Northern War. The poem “The Gothick Hero, a Poem, Sacred to the Memory of Charles XII” represents a literary engagement to England’s ambivalent stance towards the Swedish king during this tumultuous period. This article examines two versions of the poem, published in 1708 and 1715, respectively. A comparative analysis reveals the work’s transformation within the relatively short span of time, reflecting contemporary political developments. The conclusion addresses questions of authorship and argues for a re-evaluation of prevailing interpretations, which have traditionally regarded the poem as a celebration of the Hanoverian dynasty. This reassessment seeks to broaden the understanding of the poem’s political and cultural significance in its historical context.

Keywords:

Sweden, Joseph Browne, Charles XII, Eighteenth century, English poetry

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Kozak, K. (2025). “The Gothick Hero” in Context: Poetry and Politics in Early Eighteenth-Century England. Papers in Literature, (13), 187–200. https://doi.org/10.31648/pl.10918

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