How have scholars interpreted Anna Seward’s poems about Honora Sneyd?

Scholars have interpreted Anna Seward’s poems about her foster sister, Honora Sneyd, through two primary, contrasting lenses:

• Literary Inspiration: Norma Clarke has argued that Seward’s intense focus on Sneyd served as a literary trope, providing a source of inspiration that allowed Seward to emulate the classics.1
• Homoromantic Expression: A different perspective, supported by queer studies specialists such as Lillian Faderman, Fiona Brideoake, and Susan Lanser, as well as scholars Stuart Curran and Paula Backscheider, interprets these passionate poems as examples of homoromantic poetry.1

While the exact nature of their relationship remains a subject of scholarly speculation, these poems reflect the profound emotional impact Sneyd’s departure and subsequent death had on Seward.12