Which scientific subjects did Anna Seward explore in her prose and poetry?

Anna Seward explored a variety of scientific subjects in her prose and poetry, most notably botany and astronomy. Her engagement with these topics was often intertwined with her intellectual life in Lichfield and her connections to figures such as Erasmus Darwin.1

Key examples of her scientific explorations include:

• Astronomy: Her poem "The Terrestrial Year" was inspired by an 1800 lecture on astronomy and blended scientific theory with mythology.1
• Botany: Despite publicly suggesting that botany was an unsuitable subject for women, she authored several botanical poems, including "Verses Written in Dr. Darwin’s Botanic Garden" (1788), "To the Poppy" (which addressed opium use), and "The Backwardness of Spring Accounted for 1772," which explored Linnean themes.1
• Industrialization: In her poem "Colebrook Dale," she reflected on the environmental destruction caused by the industrialization process.1

Additionally, Seward documented her intellectual circle in her 1804 work, Memoirs of the Life of Dr. Darwin, which combined literary criticism with anecdotes about the members of the Lunar Society of Birmingham and the Lichfield Botanical Society.1