Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT: Mainly known today for its role in the dispute over the Earl of Chesterfield's patronage (or otherwise) of Johnson's Dictionary , Robert Dodsley and Edward Moore's The World (1753–56) was one of the most successful single-essay periodicals of its day. This article presents a detailed account of the work, focusing especially on the critical and historical issues raised by its multiple authorship, essayistic tone, and elite associations. Turning to its early nineteenth-century afterlives, the article also assesses how The World 's trademark irony and titled contributors affected its standing at this key moment in the canonization of the classic essay serials.
Source: The Modern Language Review
DOI: 10.1353/mlr.00093
Author: Shaun Regan
Language: English
Subfield: Literature and Literary Theory
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4411781470