Parting words : Victorian poetry and public address / Justin A. Sider.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sider, Justin, 1982- author.

Series:

Victorian literature and culture series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

English poetry--19th century--History and criticism.

English poetry.

Farewells in literature.

Genre:

Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Physical Description:

xi, 263 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Charlottesville ; London : University of Virginia Press, 2018.

Summary:

"Parting Words examines the relationship between Victorian poetry and public culture through the lens of the valedictory or farewell address, considering works ranging from poems by Byron, Tennyson, and Browning, to essays by Twain and Wilde, to scenes from novels by Dickens and Eliot. Ironically, the Victorian demand for a public poetry was countered by a growing diversification of that public. Although the Victorian era saw the loss of faith in a unitary national public, it asked poetry to address just such a public. It is in tackling this contradiction that the Victorian poets negotiated the reception of their work"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Introduction: last things first

Answer, echoes, dying: Tennyson's farewells

Dramatic monologue and the ends of character

Matthew Arnold's accomplished figures

The consummated spell: Swinburne's style

Coda: disavowing the Victorians.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780813941820

0813941822

OCLC:

1037029451