Inscribing on the mind: Anna letitia barbauld's 'sensible objects'

This article discusses the significance of the sensory object in the work of Anna Letitia Barbauld. It focuses on two strands of her writing-her pedagogic texts and her object poems-drawing links between the two through the associationist schema of impression and inscription. I argue that Barbauld shapes the text as a sensible object in order to forge lasting connections in the mind of the child, as well as to strengthen and maintain social associations. I suggest that a consideration of the materiality of these texts can shed light on their integration into the sensory lives of their readers.