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Writing Poetry: Creative and Critical Approaches (Approaches to Writing)
by Chad Davidson Gregory FraserWriting Poetry combines an accessible introduction to the essential elements of the craft, with a critical awareness of its underpinnings. The authors argue that separating the making of poems from critical thinking about them is a false divide and encourage students to become accomplished critics and active readers of poetic texts.
Print Cultures: A Reader in Theory and Practice (Southern African Studies)
by Caroline DavisThis reader is the most comprehensive selection of key texts on twentieth and twenty-first century print culture yet compiled. Illuminating the networks and processes that have shaped reading, writing and publishing, the selected extracts also examine the effect of printed and digital texts on society. Featuring a general introduction to contemporary print culture and publishing studies, the volume includes 42 influential and innovative pieces of writing, arranged around themes such as authorship, women and print culture, colonial and postcolonial publishing and globalisation.Offering a concise survey of critical work, this volume is an essential companion for students of literature or publishing with an interest in the history of the book.
A Guidebook to Piers Plowman
by Anna BaldwinWilliam Langland's poem Piers Plowman is one of the most popular and widely-studied Middle English works. This comprehensive, readable guide leads the student chronologically through the entire text and is designed to be read alongside it. Assuming no previous knowledge, readers are introduced to characters, plot and argument in way that enables them to enjoy and analyse the text for themselves.A Guidebook to 'Piers Plowman': - Clarifies and explores Langland's thinking- Contextualises the religious, political and social issues he raises- Details the genres and sources the poet uses- Employs up-to-date bibliographical knowledge to offer alternative critical interpretations and suggest ways of relating these to the poet's key concerns- Explains Langland's historical, theological and psychological assumptions in helpful inserted text boxes- Features illustrations and suggestions for further readingConcise and approachable, this is an invaluable tool to help students appreciate the originality and modernity of Langland's poetry.
An Introduction to Medieval English Literature: 1300-1485
by Anna BaldwinThis is a comprehensive guide to a literary period characterized by great variety and imagination, and vividly alert to the social transformations overtaking society. Spanning almost two centuries, it introduces the reader to a diverse range of authors writing for a fast-developing readership of both men and women. Each chapter focuses on a group of genres primarily associated with a particular social class – from the Drama and Saints' Lives accessible to the illiterate, to the sophisticated Romances of Love savoured by the aristocracy and the Court. Lively historical narratives place each group of texts in their social, political and cultural contexts. Significant or typical texts are given more detailed analysis that includes critical issues and questions to guide the reader's own approach, and each section is supported by a detailed bibliography of further reading.
Beowulf (Readers' Guides to Essential Criticism)
by Jodi-Anne GeorgeOf unknown authorship, Beowulf is an Old English epic poem which incites contentious debate and has been endlessly interpreted over the centuries. This Reader's Guide provides a much-needed overview of the large body of Beowulf criticism, moving from 18th century reactions to 21st century responses. Jodi-Ann George:- Charts the changes in critical trends and theoretical approaches applied to the poem.- Includes discussion of J. R. R. Tolkein's pioneering 1936 lecture on Beowulf , and Seamus Heaney's recent translation.- Analyses Beowulf in popular culture, addressing the poem's life in film versions, graphic novels, music and comics.Clear and engaging, this is an indispensable introductory guide to a widely-studied and enigmatic work which continues to fascinate readers everywhere.
Medieval English Literature (New Casebooks)
by Beatrice FannonThis volume brings together a wide range of original, scholarly essays on key figures and topics in medieval literature by leading academics. The volume examines the major authors such as Chaucer, Langland and the Gawain Poet, and covers key topics in medieval literature, including gender, class, courtly and popular culture, and religion. The volume seeks to provide a fresh and stimulating guide to medieval literature.
Alice Walker - The Color Purple (Readers' Guides to Essential Criticism)
by Rachel ListerSince its publication in 1982, The Color Purple has polarized critics and generated controversy while delighting many readers around the world. Rachel Lister offers a clear, stimulating and wide-ranging exploration of the critical history of Alice Walker's best-selling novel, from contemporary reviews through to twenty-first-century readings.This Reader's Guide:- Opens with an overview of Walker's work- Provides a detailed consideration of the conception and reception of The Color Purple- Examines coverage of key critical issues and debates such as Walker's use of generic conventions, linguistic and narrative strategies, race, class, gender and sexual politics- Covers the reception and cultural impact of cinematic and musical adaptations, including Steven Spielberg's 1985 film and the recent Broadway productionLively and insightful, this is an indispensable volume for anyone studying, or simply interested in, Alice Walker and her most famous work.
American Drama: In Dialogue, 1714-Present
by Jacqueline FoertschAn essential introductory textbook that guides students through 300 years of American plays, as well as their remarkable engagement with texts from across the Atlantic. Divided into seven historical periods, Jacqueline Foertsch offers unique overviews of 38 American plays and their reception, from Robert Hunter's Androboros (c.1714) to Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton (2015). Each historical section begins with an overseas play that proved influential to American playwrights in that period, demonstrating to students an astonishing dialogue taking place across the Atlantic. This is an ideal core text for modules on American Drama – or a supplementary text for broader modules on American Literature – which may be offered at the upper levels of an undergraduate literature, drama, theatre studies or American studies degree. In addition it is a crucial resource for students who may be studying American drama as part of a taught postgraduate degree in literature, drama or American studies.
Arthur Miller - Death of a Salesman/The Crucible: All My Sons, Death Of A Salesman, The Crucible, A View From The Bridge, Broken Glass (Readers' Guides to Essential Criticism)
by Stephen MarinoArthur Miller was one of the most important American playwrights and political and cultural figures of the 20th century. Both Death of a Salesman and The Crucible stand out as his major works: the former is always in performance somewhere in the world and the latter is Miller's most produced play. As major modern American dramas, they are the subject of a huge amount of criticism which can be daunting for students approaching the plays for the first time. This Reader's Guide introduces the major critical debates surrounding the plays and discusses their unique production histories, initial theatre reviews and later adaptations. The main trends of critical inquiry and scholars who have purported them are examined, as are the views of Miller himself, a prolific self-critic.
Robert Cormier (New Casebooks)
by Adrienne E. GavinThis compelling New Casebook is the first essay collection devoted to the work of groundbreaking American author Robert Cormier. Written by a team of international children's literature experts, the volume offers a variety of critical and theoretical approaches to the range of Cormier's controversial young adult novels.The newly-commissioned essays explore the author's earlier best-known writings for teenagers as well as his later less critically examined texts, focussing on key issues such as adolescence, identity, bullying and child corruption. Recognizing Cormier's achievement, this long-overdue critical resource is essential reading for anyone with an interest in his influential work and lasting impact on young adult fiction.
Tennessee Williams - A Streetcar Named Desire/Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Readers' Guides to Essential Criticism)
by Thomas AdlerA Streetcar Named Desire (1947) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955) are major plays by Tennessee Williams, one of America's most significant dramatists. They both received landmark productions and are widely-studied and performed around the world. The plays have also inspired popular screen adaptations and have generated a body of important and lasting scholarship.In this indispensable Reader's Guide, Thomas P. Adler:- Charts the development of the criticism surrounding both works, from the mid-twentieth century through to the present day- Provides a readable assessment of the key debates and issues- Examines a range of theoretical approaches from biographical and New Criticism to feminist and queer theoryIn so doing, Adler helps us to appreciate why these plays continue to fascinate readers, theatregoers and directors alike.
The Plays, Screenplays and Films of David Mamet (Readers' Guides to Essential Criticism)
by Steven PriceDavid Mamet is arguably the most important living American playwright. This Guide provides an up-to-date study of the key criticism on the full range of Mamet's work. It engages with his work in film as well as in the theatre, offering a synoptic overview of, and critical commentary on, the scholarly criticism of each play, screenplay or film.
John Keats (Analysing Texts)
by John BladesThis comprehensive guide to the poetry and letters of John Keats offers a highly readable and detailed textual analysis of the themes and techniques of his work. Blades assesses all the major writing - including the narratives and the great odes - and goes on to examine the context of the verse through a survey of the poet's letters and an examination of the key features of nineteenth century Romanticism. This lively and imaginative study concludes with a discussion of some of the most influential critical responses to Keats's work.
Living Poetry: Reading Poems from Shakespeare to Don Paterson
by William HutchingsLiving Poetry demonstrates that poems are vital expressions of how we live, feel and think. Lucidly written and jargon free, it introduces a range of poems from the Elizabethan age to the present day, presenting practical models of close reading and a stimulating rationale for the power of poetry to move and excite us.
Poetry: The Ultimate Guide (Interface Ser.)
by Richard BradfordRichard Bradford's new introduction to poetry begins with and answers the slippery question, 'what is poetry?'. The book provides a compact history of English poetry from the 16th century to the present day and surveys the major critical and theoretical approaches to verse. It tackles the important issues of gender, race and nationality and concludes with a lengthy account of how to recognise good poetry. This engaging and readable book is accessible to all readers, from those who simply enjoy poetry through university first years to graduate students. Poetry: The Ultimate Guide provides the technical and critical tools you need to approach and evaluate poetry, and to articulate your own views.
Studying Poetry
by Barry SpurrThis engaging introduction to poetry covers the entire tradition of poetry in English, providing close readings of interesting and varied texts. In this updated second edition, coverage has been expanded to cover medieval poetry and to give more weight to literary theory and women poets, while a new chapter focuses on key contemporary poets.
Sylvia Plath: An Introduction to the Poetry
by Susan BassnettSylvia Plath is one of the best-known and most widely-studied writers of the twentieth century. Since her death in 1963, critics have presented different images of Plath: the 'suicidal' poet, the frustrated wife and mother, the feminist precursor.In this lively and approachable introduction to the author's poetry, Susan Bassnett offers a balanced view of Plath as one of the finest contemporary poets, and shows the diversity of her work. Bassnett's refreshing perspective on the writer provides a welcome alternative to the many studies which attempt endlessly to psychoanalyse Plath posthumously. Bassnett argues that there can never be any definitive version of the Plath story, but, from close readings of her texts, readers can discover the excitement of her diverse work. Plath is not viewed as an author driven by a death wish, nor does the book focus on her suicide - instead, she is considered in the cultural context in which she wrote, and viewed as a complex writer.Now thoroughly revised and expanded in the light of recent research, the second edition of this essential text contains new chapters and more close reading of the poetry. It concludes with an analysis of Ted Hughes' Birthday Letters, a collection of poems which he wrote about his wife after her death.
The Poetry of Robert Browning (Readers' Guides to Essential Criticism)
by Britta MartensRobert Browning's pre-eminent status amongst Victorian poets has endured despite the recent broadening of the literary canon. He is the main practitioner of the period's most important poetic genre, the dramatic monologue, while his engagement with many aspects of nineteenth-century culture makes him a key figure in the wider field of Victorian studies.This stimulating introduction to Browning criticism provides an overview of the major responses to the poet's work over the last two hundred years. It offers an insightful guide to criticism from various theoretical perspectives, elucidating Browning's participation in Victorian debates about aesthetics, history, politics, religion, gender and psychology.
The Poetry of Ted Hughes (Readers' Guides to Essential Criticism)
by Sandie ByrneThis Reader's Guide charts the reception history of Ted Hughes' poetry from his first to last published collection, culminating in posthumous tributes and assessments of his lifetime achievement. Sandie Byrne explores the criticism relating to key issues such as nature, myth, the Laureateship, and Hughes' relationship with Sylvia Plath.
William Blake: The Poems (Analysing Texts)
by Nicholas MarshWilliam Blake was ignored in his own time. Now, however, his Songs of Innocence and Experience and 'prophetic books' are widely admired and studied.The second edition of this successful introductory text:- Leads the reader into the Songs and 'prophetic books' via detailed analysis of individual poems and extracts, and now features additional insightful analyses- Provides useful sections on 'Methods of Analysis' and 'Suggested Work' to aid independent study- Offers expanded historical and cultural context, and an extended sample of critical views that includes discussion of the work of recent critics- Provides up-to-date suggestions for further readingWilliam Blake: The Poems is ideal for students who are encountering the work of this major English poet for the first time. Nicholas Marsh encourages you to enjoy and explore the power and beauty of Blake's poems for yourself.
John Milton: Paradise Lost (Analysing Texts)
by Mike EdwardsParadise Lost is for many the greatest poem written in English. Composed late in the author's life, it deals with nothing less than the destiny of mankind.This essential introductory guide:- Leads the reader into the epic poem through detailed analysis of key extracts, exploring Milton's original thought and style- Provides useful sections on 'Methods of Analysis' and 'Further Work' to aid independent study- Offers valuable information on Milton's life, times and literary legacy- Examines the development of critical opinion and discusses some recent critical views of the poem.John Milton: Paradise Lost is ideal for anyone who is studying this complex and beautiful work for the first time. It will enable you to approach your own critical analysis of the poem with confidence.
Marlowe: The Plays (Analysing Texts)
by Stevie SimkinChristopher Marlowe was the most successful dramatist of his time, his untimely death cutting short a career that may well have rivalled Shakespeare's. His four major works (Doctor Faustus, Edward II, The Jew of Malta and Tamburlaine) are remarkable pieces of theatre, daring explorations of themes such as the nature of kingship, salvation and damnation, sexuality and ethnic prejudice. This book looks in depth at extracts from each of the plays, exploring them in parallel to uncover key concerns, including heroes and anti-heroes, gender and power and politics.As well as guiding readers in an understanding of the place of these issues in their Elizabethan context, and inviting them to consider their resonance today, the book looks in depth at Marlowe's style: his use of rhythm, the complexities and richness of his poetry, and his evolving development of 'character'. Particular attention is given throughout to the plays in performance.
Shakespeare, Feminism and Gender (New Casebooks)
by Kate ChedgzoyOver the last quarter-century, feminist criticism of Shakespeare has greatly expanded and enriched the range of interpretations of the Shakespearean texts, their original historical location, and subsequent reinterpretation. Characteristically it weaves between past and present, driven by a commitment both to intervene in contemporary cultural politics and to recover a fuller sense of the sexual politics of the literary heritage. Collecting together essays which offer detailed accounts of particular plays with others that take a broader overview of the field, this Casebook showcases the range of critical strategies used by feminist criticism, and illustrates how vital attention to the politics of gender and sexuality is to a full understanding and appreciation of Shakespearean drama.
Shakespeare's Problem Plays: All's Well That Ends Well, Measure for Measure, Troilus and Cressida (New Casebooks)
by Simon BarkerThis New Casebook offers a wide-ranging selection of contemporary critical readings of Shakespeare's three 'problem plays': All's Well that Ends Well, Measure for Measure and Trolius and Cressida. Together, they reflect the diversity of late twentieth-century theory and the controversy that continues to be generated by the plays, and discuss a variety of key issues. These include the meaning of the term 'problem play', the historical context and political and cultural significance of the plays, as well as issues of staging and theatre history. The volume also provides a helpful introduction which guides the reader through the critical approaches, terms and debates, as well as explanatory notes for each essay and a useful section on further reading.
Shakespeare: The Late Plays (Analysing Texts)
by Kate AughtersonWhat makes Shakespeare's late plays so special? Through detailed analyses of key passages, Kate Aughterson shows how these plays portray a world of political intrigue, familial chaos and crisis, which teeters continually into tragedy: a world we can recognise today.Part I of this engaging study:- Provides stimulating close readings of extracts from The Tempest, The Winter's Tale, Cymbeline and Pericles- Examines major topics such as openings, endings, familial roles, stage properties, spectacle and song- Offers suggestions for further work and summarizes the methods of analysisPart II supplies essential background material, including:- Detailed accounts of Shakespeare's literary and historical contexts- Samples from important critical works and performancesWith a helpful Further Reading section, this illuminating volume is ideal for anyone who wishes to appreciate and explore Shakespeare's late plays for themselves.