“Snatched” into The Seasons: The Cognitive Roots of Loco-Descriptive Form

The essay presents a reading of the poem “The Seasons,” by James Thomson, that is informed by the cognitive neuroscience of mental travel. According to the author, Thomson’s poetic descriptions draw upon empiricist accounts of visual perception and imagination to explore the literary potential of imaginative self-projection, a fundamental aspect of human cognition. The article discusses the continued relevance of this eighteenth-century history for current psychological research on literary transportation