1740 in poetry

—first stanza of James Thomson's "Rule, Britannia", written for the masque Alfred

When Britain first, at Heaven's command

Arose from out the azure main;

This was the charter of the land,

And guardian angels sang this strain:

"Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:

"Britons never will be slaves."

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