The Pleasure of Poetry: Reading and Enjoying British Poetry from Donne to BurnsThe poetry produced by the British poets of the 17th and 18th centuries is considered to be among the best ever written. But many general readers feel intimidated by the language or structure of the poetry, and so tend to shy away from enjoying these poets and their works. Nelson takes readers on a tour of the major works and figures of 17th- and 18th-century British poetry, explaining major themes, devices, styles, language, rhythm, sound, tone, imagery, form, and meaning. Beginning each chapter with a sketch of the poet's life and career, the author then looks at five or six representative works, helping readers understand and appreciate the beauty of poetry itself. From Donne and Jonson, to Pope, Swift, and Burns, the book offers excerpts of the poetry these artists crafted, and carefully examines the various attributes that have helped to establish them as some of the greatest of all time. Writing in clear, accessible language, Nelson also introduces general poetry terms to the novice, providing examples and explanations where necessary. Readers will no longer feel intimidated by difficult poetry. Instead, they will walk away with the tools they need to read, understand, and appreciate these titans of British letters. |
From inside the book
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Page iii
... from Donne to Burns Nicolas H. Nelson. The Pleasure of Poetry READING AND ENJOYING BRITISH POETRY FROM DONNE TO BURNS NICOLAS H. NELSON PRAEGER Westport , Connecticut London Library of Congress Cataloging - in - Publication Data Nelson.
... from Donne to Burns Nicolas H. Nelson. The Pleasure of Poetry READING AND ENJOYING BRITISH POETRY FROM DONNE TO BURNS NICOLAS H. NELSON PRAEGER Westport , Connecticut London Library of Congress Cataloging - in - Publication Data Nelson.
Page xi
... , 1983 ) . For Burns's " John Anderson My Jo " I have used Carol McGuirk's edition , Robert Burns : Selected Poems ( London : Penguin , 1993 ) . n CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Reading Poetry Poetry is something A Note on Sources.
... , 1983 ) . For Burns's " John Anderson My Jo " I have used Carol McGuirk's edition , Robert Burns : Selected Poems ( London : Penguin , 1993 ) . n CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Reading Poetry Poetry is something A Note on Sources.
Page 19
... London . Queen Elizabeth ruled England , after succeeding to the throne in 1558 on the death of her half sister Mary . Mary had attempted to reinstate Catholicism by force in England , but Elizabeth led the country to adopt a compromise ...
... London . Queen Elizabeth ruled England , after succeeding to the throne in 1558 on the death of her half sister Mary . Mary had attempted to reinstate Catholicism by force in England , but Elizabeth led the country to adopt a compromise ...
Page 20
... John Donne began life as the son of a prosperous London merchant who died when he was only four. His mother, a strong Catholic and daughter of John Heywood, a well-known writer and dramatist, and granddaughter of 20 The Pleasure of Poetry ...
... John Donne began life as the son of a prosperous London merchant who died when he was only four. His mother, a strong Catholic and daughter of John Heywood, a well-known writer and dramatist, and granddaughter of 20 The Pleasure of Poetry ...
Page 21
... London. To Donne's great sorrow, his wife died in 1617 after giving birth to a stillborn child (they had had twelve children that lived at least for some time). After having been seriously ill for several weeks and having given his ...
... London. To Donne's great sorrow, his wife died in 1617 after giving birth to a stillborn child (they had had twelve children that lived at least for some time). After having been seriously ill for several weeks and having given his ...
Contents
1 | |
19 | |
37 | |
Poet of Time Love and Delight | 53 |
Poet and Priest | 67 |
Poet of English Puritanism | 81 |
Pastoral Poet of Time and History | 107 |
Poet of the Restoration | 125 |
Satirist and Moralist | 161 |
Moralist and Satirist | 183 |
Finch Gray Goldsmith and Cowper | 201 |
Singer Satirist and Storyteller | 225 |
Epilogue | 247 |
Further Reading | 249 |
Index | 257 |
Satirist Preacher and Lover | 143 |
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Common terms and phrases
Alexander Pope alliteration Andrew Marvell beauty begins Belinda Ben Jonson Burns called celebrate Church classical clearly contrast Cowper Cromwell death describes despite divine Donne Donne’s dramatic Dryden end-stopped England English epic especially evokes faith fate feelings final flowers God's Goldsmith Gray heaven Herbert heroic couplet Herrick hope human iambic iambic pentameter iambic tetrameter ideas images imagination John John Donne John Dryden John Milton Jonathan Swift Jonson kind king language lines live London Lord Marvell Milton moral nature Oliver Goldsmith Paradise Paradise Lost passage passion play pleasure poem poet poet's poetic poetry political Pope Pope's portrait praise published readers religious rhyme Robert Herrick Samson Samuel Johnson Satan satire says scene seems sense serious sins song sonnet soul sound speaker stanza stressed suggests Swift syllables thee themes thou traditional verse voice words writing wrote young