Full Description
This book is a comprehensive introduction to English poetry, tracing its evolution from the Age of Chaucer to the Romantic Period. Designed especially for undergraduate and graduate students who are second-language learners in South and Southeast Asia, it fosters a deeper appreciation of English literary history and its aesthetic foundations.Each chapter offers a well-structured overview, beginning with the historical, social, political, and philosophical contexts that shaped the literature of the time. This is followed by close readings of representative poems, highlighting key themes, poetic forms, and stylistic features. The analytical framework helps learners understand not just the content of the poems, but also the broader cultural forces that influenced their creation and reception.
Subjects covered include:
Major poets and literary movements from Chaucer to the Romantics
Historical and cultural contexts of poetic works
Thematic concerns and philosophical underpinnings
Guided analysis of selected poems with discussion prompts
Ideal for classroom use or independent study, this book is a valuable resource for students seeking both knowledge and inspiration in their study of English poetry.
Contents
Preface
1. From Chaucer to Spenser
2. Shakespeare's Sonnets
3. John Donne
4. Milton and Marvell
5. Alexander Pope
6. William Blake
Index
