Night Thoughts

Edward Young's Night Thoughts, published in nine parts between 1742 and 1745, was one of the most widely read poems of the eighteenth century. Written after the deaths of three people close to him, it is a long meditation in blank verse spoken by a sleepless mourner in the middle of the night. He grieves for his lost friends, reflects on time, death and friendship, and argues with Lorenzo, a clever young man of the world who doubts that the soul survives death. The poem moves from grief to faith, through arguments for immortality, to a survey of the night sky and a closing hymn to the Creator, and it gave the language lines such as “Procrastination is the thief of time;”.

This edition contains the complete text of the nine Nights with Young's prefaces and dedications, an essay on the life and poetic genius of Young from a Victorian library edition, and that edition's short explanatory notes. It also includes a new introduction, a guide to the poem's key figures and ideas, a summary of each Night, notes on themes, a glossary and discussion questions.

It suits readers of eighteenth-century poetry, readers interested in faith and doubt, and anyone drawn to writing about grief and consolation.