Author Description
Hailed as a major event (John Carey, Sunday Times), a major anthology: one of the best that Oxford has ever produced (James Fenton, The Times), the most important anthology in recent years (The Economist), and indispensable (Kingsley Amis), Roger Lonsdales The New Oxford Book of Eighteenth-Century Verse is now available in a stylishly redesigned reissue. No previous anthology has succeeded in illustrating so thoroughly the kinds of verse actually written in the eighteenth century. The familiar tradition is fully represented by selections from such poets as Pope, Swift, Gray, Smart, Goldsmith, Cowper, Burns, and Blake. In addition, the anthology includes verse by many forgotten writers, both men and women, from all levels of society. Although they have never figured in conventional literary history, they wrote humorous, idiosyncratic, and graphic verse about their personal experience and the world around them, in a way that should challenge received ideas about the periods restraints and inhibitions.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This anthology investigates the breadth of eighteenth-century English verse by challenging traditional literary canons that prioritize only a handful of canonical poets. Roger Lonsdale, a noted scholar of the period, compiles a vast array of primary source material to demonstrate that the era's poetic output was far more diverse, idiosyncratic, and socially inclusive than conventional literary histories suggest. By integrating works from both famous figures and forgotten writers across various social strata, the text argues for a more nuanced understanding of the period's cultural and creative landscape.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A comprehensive selection of poetry spanning the entirety of the eighteenth century.
- Works from canonical figures such as Pope, Swift, Gray, Smart, Goldsmith, Cowper, Burns, and Blake.
- Inclusion of marginalized and forgotten writers, including women and poets from diverse social backgrounds.
- A critical framework that contextualizes verse within the personal experiences and social realities of the time.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Critics and scholars widely regard this anthology as a foundational text for understanding the period's true literary diversity. Readers frequently note the academic rigor and the extensive research required to surface such a wide range of previously overlooked voices.
Page Count:
912
Publication Date:
2009-05-07
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0199560722
ISBN-13:
9780199560721
Poetry
History
Literary Criticism
Anthology
British literature
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