Botanical Poetics: Early Modern Plant Books and the Husbandry of Print

During Queen Elizabeth's reign, there was a surge in books published with titles related to flowers, gardens, and forests, as well as instructional manuals on gardening and husbandry. This trend reflected a distinctive style of plant-thinking that saw plants and poems as composed of small pieces, which were circulated by readers and planters. Botanical Poetics explores how these developments transformed early modern conceptions of nature, poetic language, and the printed book, drawing on little-studied titles in horticulture and popular print alongside poetry by Shakespeare, Spenser, and others. It reveals an alternate tradition of commonplaces and common ground, of slips of herbs and poetry circulated, shared, and multiplied.

Format: Hardback
Length: 376 pages
Publication date: 25 October 2022
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press

During the middle years of Queen Elizabeth's reign, a remarkable surge occurred in the publication of books with titles that embraced the themes of flowers, gardens, and forests. This trend was accompanied by the production of numerous instructional manuals on gardening and husbandry, aimed at providing valuable knowledge to a growing class of literate landowners and pleasure gardeners. Jessica Rosenberg, in her book Botanical Poetics, explores how these developments shaped early modern conceptions of nature, poetic language, and the printed book. By examining little-studied titles in horticulture and popular print alongside poetry by renowned authors such as Shakespeare, Spenser, and others, Rosenberg reveals how early modern print employed a botanical idiom to anticipate its own reading and reception. Through replanting, uprooting, and imaginative narratives of common property and proliferation, early modern print fostered a sense of shared and multiplied knowledge, challenging traditional narratives of English literary culture that portrayed reading as a private practice and literary production as the sole domain of authors.

The emergence of botanical poetry during this period was a significant aspect of this cultural shift. Poets like Spenser and Shakespeare used botanical imagery and metaphor to convey complex ideas about love, nature, and human relationships. They saw plants as living organisms with their own desires and aspirations, and they used poetic language to describe their intricate beauty and ecological significance.

Botanical Poetics also sheds light on the materiality of the printed book in early modern England. The rise of print culture led to the standardization of book formats, the development of printing techniques, and the widespread distribution of printed materials. Books became more accessible and affordable, allowing a wider audience to engage with literature and horticulture.

In conclusion, Botanical Poetics offers a fresh perspective on early modern English literature and culture. By exploring the intersection of botany, science, literary form, and the material text, Rosenberg reveals how early modern print used a botanical idiom to anticipate its own reading and reception. Through the study of little-studied titles in horticulture and popular print alongside poetry by renowned authors, she uncovers an alternate tradition of commonplaces and common ground, of slips of herbs and poetry circulated, shared, and multiplied. This book contributes to our understanding of the complex and multifaceted relationship between nature, literature, and the printed book in early modern England.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781512823332