Charles Darwin’s grandfather Erasmus was also a famous naturalist in his own day, in addition to being a celebrated poet. This is the first part of his popular science poem in heroic couplets intended to introduce botany to the English public. It serves as a general defense of scientific progress as a practical and artistic endeavor, laying the groundwork for its sequel poem on Linnaeus’ system of sexual selection in plants, Loves of the Plants. - Summary by Matthew Muñoz
Chapters
1 Advertisement and Apology 4 min 2 To the Author of the Poem On the Loves of the Plants 2 min 3 Canto I, lines 1-188 32 min 4 Canto I, lines 189-278 23 min 5 Canto I, lines 279-412 22 min 6 Canto I, lines 413-600 32 min 7 Canto II, lines 1-124 25 min 8 Canto II, lines 125-276 26 min 9 Canto II, lines 277-498 31 min 10 Canto II, lines 499-610 17 min 11 Canto III, lines 1-128 28 min 12 Canto III, lines 129-320 24 min 13 Canto III, lines 321-528 22 min 14 Canto III, lines 529-590 6 min 15 Canto IV, lines 1-164 24 min 16 Canto IV, lines 165-358 26 min 17 Canto IV, lines 359-484 26 min 18 Canto IV, lines 485-640 20 min 19 Note I., Meteors 16 min 20 Note II., Primary Colours 7 min 21 Note III., Coloured Clouds 5 min 22 Note IV., Comets 3 min 23 Note V., Sun's Rays 4 min 24 Note VI., Central Fires 8 min 25 Note VII., Elementary Heat 11 min 26 Note VIII., Memnon's Lyre 4 min 27 Note IX., Luminous Insects 4 min 28 Note X., Phosphorus 5 min 29 Note XI., Steam-Engine 9 min 30 Note XII., Frost 8 min 31 Note XIII., Electricity 6 min 32 Note XIV., Buds and Bulbs 8 min 33 Note XV., Solar Volcanos 10 min 34 Note XVI., Calcareous Earth 10 min 35 Note XVII., Morasses 7 min 36 Note XVIII., Iron 15 min 37 Note XIX., Flint 25 min 38 Note XX., Clay 8 min 39 Note XXI., Enamels 6 min 40 Note XXII., Portland Vase 24 min 41 Note XXIII., Coal 20 min 42 Note XXIV., Granite 11 min 43 Note XXV., Evaporation 9 min 44 Note XXVI., Springs 7 min 45 Note XXVII., Shell Fish 7 min 46 Note XXVIII., Sturgeon 3 min 47 Note XXIX., Oil on Water 4 min 48 Note XXX., Ship-Worm 2 min 49 Note XXXI., Maelstrom 4 min 50 Note XXXII., Glaciers 4 min 51 Note XXXIII., Winds 30 min 52 Note XXXIII., Winds. (continued) 20 min 53 Note XXXIV., Vegetable Perspiration 7 min 54 Note XXXV., Vegetable Placentation 6 min 55 Note XXXVI, Vegetable Circulation 11 min 56 Note XXXVII, Vegetable Respiration 15 min 57 Note XXXVIII., Vegetable Impregnation 7 min 58 Note XXXIX., Vegetable Glandulation 17 min
