Milton to Pope, 1650-1720 / Kay Gilliland Stevenson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Stevenson, Kay Gilliland.

Series:

Transitions (Palgrave (Firm))

Transitions

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Pope, Alexander, 1688-1744.

Milton, John, 1608-1674.

English literature--Early modern, 1500-1700--History and criticism.

English literature.

English literature--18th century--History and criticism.

Milton, John, 1608-1674--Criticism and interpretation.

Milton, John.

Pope, Alexander, 1688-1744--Criticism and interpretation.

Pope, Alexander.

Authors and readers--Great Britain--History--17th century.

Authors and readers.

Authors and readers--Great Britain--History--18th century.

Literature and society--Great Britain--History--17th century.

Literature and society.

History.

Criticism and interpretation.

Great Britain.

Literature and society--Great Britain--History--18th century.

Physical Description:

x, 292 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Houndmills, Hampshire ; New York : Palgrave, 2001.

Summary:

In a fresh survey of English writing from 1650 to 1720, Milton to Pope explores the multiplicity of what one ballad writer called 'this scribbling age'. Beginning with a sampler of disparate texts, this book explores contexts for interpretation, clearly exemplifying the advantages of moving beyond anthology selections to look closely at details in earlier printed books.

Among questions raised are how the 'period' looks from the perspective of the late seventeenth century and from our own time.

There are major chapters on poetry, drama, and prose, and recurrent emphasis on what is to be learned from details of earlier printing practices or manuscript circulation. Written with zest, this study mingles close reading of particular texts with attention to their larger context.

Contents:

1. Contexts 1

John Playford, The English Dancing Master 2

Arise Evans, The Voice of King Charls and The Voice of the Iron Rod (1655) 3

Comenius, Orbis sensualium pictus, trans. Charles Hoole (1658) 7

Bishop Walton ed., Biblia polyglotta (1656) 13

Charles II, Declaration of Breda, 4/14 April 1660 17

Elizabeth Cellier, Malice Defeated (London 1680) 19

John Dryden, Secular Masque (1700) 22

What was published and how it looked 24

Reading on 29

2. Poems and Occasions 36

Milton 36

How long is a poem? 42

Poetic kinds 45

Poetic topics and poetic diction 66

How does poetry appear? 71

Grounds for reputation 81

Individual reputations 84

3. Publike Calamaties and Publike Sports 104

Fairs and trials 112

Audiences: spectators and readers 118

Secondary and primary materials 125

Eyewitnesses: Pepys, Downes, Cibber 126

Documents, dialogues, diatribes 129

Playhouses, playwrights, players 133

Old plays and new 138

4. An Aggregate of Various Nations 166

Small books 171

Romance 174

Diaries, autobiography, biography 190

Sermons: a considerable branch of literature 202

5. Periods 220

Viewpoints: Dryden and his contemporaries 220

Our contemporaries 229

Retrospection and simplification 238.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 258-281) and index.

ISBN:

0333696131

OCLC:

44413778