1776 in poetry

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

Events

 * March &mdash; American poet Phillis Wheatley, visits with General George Washington for half an hour in Cambridge, Massachusetts, after sending him the previous October a poem written in his honor. A former slave, she was a strong supporter of independence during the American Revolution. The poem was published March 26 in the Virginia Gazette

United Kingdom

 * James Beattie, Poems on Several Occasions
 * Richard Graves, Euphrosyne; or, Amusements on the Road of Life
 * David Herd, editor, Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs, anthology
 * William Mickle, translator, The Lusiad; or, The Discovery of India, translated from the original Portuguese of Luis de Camoens
 * Hannah More, Sir Eldred of the Bower, and The Bleeding Rock
 * Jonathan Richardson, Morning Thoughts; or, Poetical Meditations, Moral, Divine and Miscellaneous
 * John Scott, Amwell
 * Augustus Montague Toplady, Psalms and Hymns for Public and Private Worship
 * William Whitehead, Variety, published anonymously

Other

 * Johannes Ewald, a funeral ode on the occasion of the death of Frederik V; Denmark
 * Basilio da Gama, Os Campos Elíseos ("The Elysian Fields"), on the fine arts; Brazil
 * Vincenzo Monti, La visione di Ezechiello, Italy
 * Jonathan Odell, "A Birthday Song", United States

Births
Death years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:
 * April 17 – Jean-François Roger (died 1842), French poet and politician
 * April 21 (bapt.) – Ann Griffiths (died 1805), Welsh hymn-writer
 * July 18 – John Struthers (died 1853), Scottish poet
 * September 21 – John Fitchett (died 1838), English epic poet
 * November 16 – Mary Matilda Betham (died 1852), English diarist, scholar and poet
 * year not certain – Charles Newton

Deaths
Birth years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:
 * January 26 – Evan Lloyd (born 1734), Welsh satirical poet and clergyman
 * June 13 – Elizabeth Scott (born 1708), British-born, Colonial American poet and hymnwriter
 * August 28? (bur.) – John Edwards (Sion y Potlau) (born 1699?), Welsh poet
 * date not known – George Smith (born 1713), British
 * Jeanne-Catherine Van Goethem (born 1720), Flemish poet