This paper is a New Historicist, feminist study of Anne Finch (1661 – 1720) as poet and literary critic. The focus of this work is Finch's mastery at subverting many of the poetic forms she uses, rebelling against the pressures exerted by the contemporary, male-oriented literary market, seeking to establish an unfettered female poetic voice, while criticizing the cultural, political, literary and social practices of urban, Augustan England.
In addition, this paper seeks to undermine the narrow categorization of Anne Finch as a Pre-Romantic poet, disregarding the multi-faceted complexity of her work. Moreover, it is hoped that reviving the interest in such a unique poet and critic would establish her merit as a canonical literary figure of the first rank, alongside her male counterparts such as Dryden, Pope and Johnson.