Isaac Watts was a scion of seventeenth-century Independent Dissent, a religious culture distinguished by its attention to local congregational authority, the education of preachers and people, and the...
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In the following essay, Gillman discusses Watts's goals in hymn writing and provides an analysis of his works.
In the Library of York Minster there is a volume entitled Musick's Monum...
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In the following essay, Maclear examines Watts's ideas about religion and its importance and impact on society and civil matters.
Over the past two decades scholarly interest in “civi...
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In the following essay, Brawley examines Watts's writings in light of the author's position as the innovator of original, individualized hymns.
The early years of the eighteenth centu...
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In the following essay, Pinto examines the characteristics of Watts's poems and argues that his poetry should be more highly regarded.
It is often a great misfortune for a poet, as far as hi...
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In the following essays, Davis provides an analysis of Watts's prose and its orientation, and argues that Watts's poetry deserves a place in English literary history not only because of ...
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In the following essay, Hope examines the achievements of Watts in relation to English hymnody and praises his contributions to this field.
In any account of the development of the English hymn, th...
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In the following essay, Escott discusses the content of Watts's work A Short Essay Toward the Improvement of Psalmody and its relationship to the preface to his Hymns and Spiritual Songs.
Ch...
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In the following essays, Bishop analyzes Watts's impact on hymns sung in church and examines his views on writing methods and linguistic techniques.
Watts's Composition of Hymns
No do...
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In the following essays, Hoyles argues that Watts's works can be categorized as “the embodiment of both classical aesthetics and the English Enlightenment.” He then examines Watts...
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In the following essay, Marshall and Todd analyze Watts's creation of the English hymn and its characteristics.
In Defense of Hymnody
The acceptance of hymns for congregational use, necessar...
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Isaac Watts
Critical Essay by Frederick J. Gillman
