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 1
... poet. Such topical references that occur will be briefly described and their relevance to the poetry explained, so the reader may readily understand and appreciate the poet's point. The pleasure of reading this poetry should not be lost ...
... poet. Such topical references that occur will be briefly described and their relevance to the poetry explained, so the reader may readily understand and appreciate the poet's point. The pleasure of reading this poetry should not be lost ...
Page 3
... poet's affection , while the second line , with its associations of spring and new life , furthers the idea of his beloved's freshness , vitality , and beauty . In just a few words the poet evokes a powerful feeling of love that we ...
... poet's affection , while the second line , with its associations of spring and new life , furthers the idea of his beloved's freshness , vitality , and beauty . In just a few words the poet evokes a powerful feeling of love that we ...
Page 8
... poet plays on the sharp contrast between high and low language , contributing to the ridicule of his target and to his mock - epic form . The connotations of the poet's words are often more important than their denotation , so that his ...
... poet plays on the sharp contrast between high and low language , contributing to the ridicule of his target and to his mock - epic form . The connotations of the poet's words are often more important than their denotation , so that his ...
Page 10
... poet's deepest feelings about his own life , a more common subject of poetry as we approach the Romantic age . Most of the poets in this book use rhyme and other special sound effects to enhance the music of their verse . Such elements ...
... poet's deepest feelings about his own life , a more common subject of poetry as we approach the Romantic age . Most of the poets in this book use rhyme and other special sound effects to enhance the music of their verse . Such elements ...
Page 12
... poet wishes to emphasize the word receiving the stress . The rest of the line continues the regular iambic ... poet's hands , the tetrameter line is a highly flexible medium and may be used for various purposes . Dialogue might ...
... poet wishes to emphasize the word receiving the stress . The rest of the line continues the regular iambic ... poet's hands , the tetrameter line is a highly flexible medium and may be used for various purposes . Dialogue might ...
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 beauty begins Belinda Ben Jonson Burns caesura called celebrate Charles Church classical clearly contrast Cromwell death delight describes despite divine Donne Donne’s dramatic Dryden Dunciad end-stopped England English English Civil War epic especially evokes faith fate feelings final flowers God's Gray heart heaven Herbert heroic couplet Herrick hope human iambic iambic pentameter iambic tetrameter ideas images imagination John John Donne Jonathan Swift Jonson kind king language lines live Lord Marvell Milton moral Muse nature never night Paradise Lost passage passion play pleasure poem poet poet's poetic poetry political Pope Pope's portrait praise published Puritans quatrain readers religious rhyme Robert Herrick Samson 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