Synopses & Reviews
The Romanticism that emerged after the American and French revolutions of 1776 and 1789 represented a new flowering of the imagination and the spirit, and a celebration of the soul of humanity with its capacity for love. This extraordinary collection sets the acknowledged genius of poems such as Blake’s "The Tyger," Coleridge’s "Kubla Khan," and Shelley’s "Ozymandias" alongside verse from less well known figures and women poets such as Charlotte Smith and Mary Robinson. We also see familiar poets in an unaccustomed light, as Blake, Wordsworth, and Shelley demonstrate their comic skills, while Coleridge, Keats, and Clare explore the Gothic and surreal.
- First time in Penguin Classics
- Includes an introduction, notes, biographies of the poets, and indexes of poets, titles, and first lines
- A major anthology organized by theme
Review
'\"An absolutely fascinating selectionnotable for its women poets, its intriguing thematic categories, and its helpful mini-biographies.\" (Richard Holmes) '
Synopsis
In the years following the American and French Revolutions, the Romantic Movement's exaltation of nature and the imagination produced poetry of surpassing beauty and importance. From Coleridge's "Kubla Khan" to Byron's "She walks in beauty, like the night," this outstanding anthology gathers the work of fifty-one poets from the period. Arranged by theme and genre, the book enables us to see the Romanticsboth famous and lesser-knownin a fresh light, revealing unexpected connections and shared concerns. Including a strong representation of women poets such as Charlotte Smith and Mary Robinson, this definitive collection captures the period's matchless creative flowering in all its glory.
About the Author
Jonathan Wordsworth is descended from William Wordsworth’s younger brother, Christopher. He is chairman of the Wordsworth Trust and retired professor of English literature at Oxford.