Goldsmith publishes The Vicar of Wakefield
Poet involved
What happened
In 1766, Oliver Goldsmith published The Vicar of Wakefield. The novel presented domestic virtue, misfortune and comic sentiment through the story of Dr Primrose and his family. It became one of the most beloved works of eighteenth-century fiction.
Literary impact
Goldsmith's mixture of irony, tenderness and rural idealisation influenced sentimental fiction and pastoral nostalgia. The novel's moral atmosphere connects with poetic concerns about simplicity, family and social change.
Source: Wikipedia
