1788 in poetry

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

United Kingdom
This year three works of poetry, all written by women (the Falconars, More and Yearsley), condemned slavery.
 * Henry Cary, Sonnets and Odes, the author turned 16 years old this year
 * William Collins, Ode on the Popular Superstitions of the Highlands of Scotland
 * William Crowe, Lewesdon Hill, published anonymously
 * Maria Falconar and Harriet Falconar:
 * Poems
 * Poems on Slavery
 * James Hurdis, The Village Curate
 * Robert Merry, writing under the pen name "Della Crusca", Diversity
 * Hannah More, Slavery: A Poem
 * "Peter Pindar", see John Wolcot, below
 * William Whitehead, Poems by William Whitehead, published posthumously, edited by William Mason (see also Plays and Poems 1774)
 * John Wolcot, writing under the pen name "Peter Pindar", Tales and Fables
 * Ann Yearsley, A Poem on the Inhumanity of the Slave Trade

United States

 * Timothy Dwight, published anonymously, "The Triumph of Infidelity: A Poem", satire in heroic couplets; supports Calvinism and attacks Voltaire, David Hume, Joseph Priestly and their followers
 * Philip Freneau, Miscellaneous Works of Mr. Philip Freneau, Containing His Essays and Additional Poems
 * Francis Hopkinson:
 * An Ode, in honor of the Adoption of the U.S. Constitution
 * Seven Songs, for the Harpsichord or Forte-Piano
 * Peter Markoe:
 * "The Times", satire on prominent Philadelphia society people
 * "The Storm", attributed to Markoe
 * William Roscoe, The Wrongs of Africa: A Poem
 * Susanna Rowson:
 * Poems on Various Subjects
 * A Trip to Parnassus

Canadian poetry in French

 * Joseph Quesnel, Colas et Colinette, a comedy in verse, French language, published in Quebec, Canada

Others

 * Basilio da Gama, Relação abreviada da República e Lenitivo da saudade; Brazil

Births
Death years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:
 * January 22 – George Gordon, Lord Byron (died 1824), English poet and leading figure in Romanticism
 * March 10 – Joseph von Eichendorff (died 1857), German poet and novelist
 * May 16 – Friedrich Rückert (died 1866), German poet, translator, and professor of Oriental languages
 * October 24 – Sarah Josepha Hale (died 1879), American writer, influential editor, author of nursery rhymes, including "Mary Had a Little Lamb"
 * Also:
 * R.H. Barham (died 1845), English poet and humorist

Deaths
Birth years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:
 * June 12 – Johann Andreas Cramer (born 1723), German poet, writer and theologian
 * Also:
 * Mather Byles, (born 1707), English Colonial American clergyman and poet
 * William Julius Mickle (born 1735), Scottish poet
 * Robert Nugent, 1st Earl Nugent, (born 1702), Irish poet and politician
 * Thomas Russell (poet) (born 1762), English poet whose Sonnets and Miscellaneous Poems were posthumously published in 1789
 * Charles Wesley (born 1707), Methodist clergyman and hymn writer