In the following essay, Doody examines the exploration and treatment of sensuousness, including that of the natural world, in poetry by women in the eighteenth century.

Women's poetry in the eighteenth century has been dealt with in terms of its political statement and its moral and social awareness. Much good work has been done in tracing themes and looking at social perspectives. Above all, some essential work has been done—the spade-work—of locating poets, finding their publications and manuscripts, and giving a coherent account of their individual lives. I can rest on the assurance that predecessors such as Roger Lonsdale and Donna Landry have given us a vision and knowledge that we didn't have before, so I can take a slightly different tack.

In recent years also there has been much concern about 'the Body'—it is still a fashionable topic. The Body has been poked...