1774 in poetry

Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature (for instance, Irish or France).

Events

 * During this year's harvest, 15-year-old Scottish farm labourer Robert Burns is assisted by his contemporary Nelly Kilpatrick who inspires his first attempt at poetry, "O, Once I Lov'd A Bonnie Lass".
 * Jacques Delille elected to membership in the Académie Française in large part due to his verse translation of the Georgics in 1769

Colonial America

 * Hugh Henry Brackenridge, "A Poem on Divine Revelation"
 * Samuel Occom, editor, A Choice Collection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs
 * John Trumbull, "An Elegy on the Times"

United Kingdom

 * James Beattie, The Minstrel; or, The Progress of Genius, Book 2 (Book 1 1771, both books published together with other verse in 1775)
 * William Dunkin, The Poetical Works of the Late William Dunkin, posthumously published; Volume 1 includes Latin and Ancient Greek poetry with English translations
 * Oliver Goldsmith, Retaliation; a poem, published April 19
 * Richard Graves, The Progress of Gallantry, published anonymously
 * Thomas Gray, The Poems of Mr Gray (posthumous)
 * William Mason, An Heroic Postscript to the Public, published anonymously
 * Hannah More, The Inflexible Captive: A tragedy
 * Samuel Jackson Pratt (as "Courtney Melmoth"), The Tears of A Genius, occasioned by the Death of Dr Goldsmith
 * Henry James Pye, Farringdon Hill
 * Mary Scott, The Female Advocate, a response to The Feminead 1754 by John Duncombe
 * Thomas Warton the Younger, History of English Poetry, in three volumes, published from 1774-1781
 * William Whitehead, Plays and Poems by William Whitehead, Esq. Poet Laureat (see also Poems 1788)

Other

 * Charles Batteux, Principes de la littérature, including Cours de belles lettres of 1765; criticism; France

Births
Death years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:
 * June 3 – Robert Tannahill (died 1810), Scottish "Weaver Poet"
 * August 12 – Robert Southey (died 1843), English poet
 * November 4 – Robert Allan (died 1841), Scottish "Weaver Poet"

Deaths
Birth years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:
 * Early – Lady Dorothea Du Bois (born 1728), Irish poet and writer
 * c. January 29–February 5 – James Love, pseudonym of James Dance (born 1721), English poet, playwright and actor
 * May 11 – Charles Jenner (born 1736), English poet, novelist and Anglican cleric
 * August 14 – Johann Jakob Reiske (born 1716), German scholar and physician
 * October 16 – Oliver Goldsmith (born 1728), English writer and poet
 * October 17 – Robert Fergusson (born 1750), Scottish poet
 * November 25 – Henry Baker (born 1698), English naturalist, poet, sign-language developer
 * December 20 – Paul Whitehead (born 1710), English satiric poet
 * Khwaja Muhammad Zaman (born 1713), Indian, Sindhi-language poet