Review
"A provocative addition to an ongoing debate....Highly recommended."--G.A. Cevasco, Choice
Review
"A provocative addition to an ongoing debate....Highly recommended."--G.A. Cevasco, Choice
Book Description
Covering a wide range of the poetry, John Williams discusses the critical issues that have dominated discussions of Wordsworth's work, from the end of the 18th century up to the present day. The chapters trace the evolution of the poet's compositions and his changing reputation during his lifetime, from a ridiculed poet to a revered elder statesman of letters. The 20th century's critical response to Wordsworth's poetry is closely examined, and there is also an assessment of how the 21st century reader can engage with his work.
About the Author
John Williams is Reader in Literary Studies, University of Greenwich.
William Wordsworth FROM THE PUBLISHER
Beginning with a fresh assessment of the controversies that developed around Lyrical Ballads, the chapters trace the evolution of both Wordsworth's poetry and his reputation through to his death in 1850. At each stage, Williams investigates the possible reasons why critics and readers responded as they did: enraged by his revolutionary 'Jacobinism' at the turn of the eighteenth century; insulted by the 'simplicity' of the Poems in Two Volumes of 1807; reassured by his commitment to Nature and his reverence for Church and State in the early Victorian period.
Art & Photography
Book Info
