The Restoration transposed : poetry, place and literary history, 1660-1700 / Gillian Wright, University of Birmingham.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wright, Gillian, 1969- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

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

English poetry.

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

Literature and society.

Geography and literature.

History.

Great Britain.

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

Literature and history.

Geography and literature--Great Britain--History--17th century.

English poetry--Early modern.

Genre:

Criticism, interpretation, etc.

History.

Physical Description:

xii, 265 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, United Kingdom ; New York, NY, USA : Cambridge University Press, 2020.

Summary:

"The satire 'Timon', attributed to the earl of Rochester and probably written in 1674, exemplifies much that is generally thought to be typical of Restoration poetry.2 Densely packed with cultural allusions and expectations, it is preoccupied with money, sex, eating and drinking, and the pleasures and dangers of contemporary London. The world it inhabits is both cliquey and competitive; other men divide into the speaker's allies and the targets of his abuse, while women are present, if at all, only to be mocked or seduced, or both. This is also a world of casual but intense sociability, as witnessed both by the situational premise of the poem, apparently a street encounter between Timon and his interlocutor, and the prior social interactions that form the main substance of the poem. Timon's chance meeting with the 'dull dining sot', carefully placed 'i'th'Mall' - a new and fashionable venue in the heart of London - leads to his near-forced participation in an impromptu dinner with companions whose wit and judgement fall absurdly short of his own nonchalant but exacting standards.3 Literature and politics are the chief topics of conversation: the sot first tries, unsuccessfully, to demonstrate his knowledge of elite satirical poetry, and later, with his dinner guests, gossips ignorantly about drama and jingoistically about the French king's wars. Love, as opposed to sex, is mentioned only by his ageing wife, whose very existence marks him out for further ridicule. The one missing element in this virtuosic array of Restoration conventions is religious scepticism, presumably too advanced and demanding a topic to interest such intellectual lightweights as the sot and his friends"-- Provided by publisher.

This revisionist study of Restoration literature and culture demonstrates how important the decades between 1660 and 1700 were in transforming, enlarging and diversifying English-language poetry. Wright challenges the longstanding narrative of Restoration poetry as a male, urban, London-centric form obsessed with the contemporary, arguing persuasively that this schema omits crucial literary works and relationships. Framed around three detailed case studies of neglected aspects of Restoration poetry, the book explores the depth of Spenser's influence, the importance of poetry flourishing in Ireland, the significance of natural landscapes and the vital role of women: both as readers, and writers. This book presents a diverse literary Restoration steeped in historical self-awareness and anxieties, engaged with the world outside England's capital, and open to new voices. Its impressive scope encompasses myriad little-known writers, while extensive historical research underpins its fresh perspectives on poets such as Dryden, Rochester, Cowley, Milton, Marvell and Behn.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781108493970

1108493971

OCLC:

1120784966