Classics and Celtic Literary Modernism: Yeats, Joyce, MacDiarmid and Jones

Celtic modernism had a complex history with classical reception, with writers on the fringe confronting and advancing crudely ideological manipulations of the inherited past. This book explores how new forms of modernist literary expression emerged as the evolution of classical education, cultural nationalisms, and the desire for transformative modes of artistic invention converged across Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

Format: Hardback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 03 February 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Celtic modernism, a rich tapestry of literary expression, embarked on a complex journey intertwined with classical reception. In his insightful book, Gregory Baker delves into the works of renowned writers such as W. B. Yeats, James Joyce, David Jones, and Hugh MacDiarmid, unraveling the intricate ways in which new forms of modernist literary expression blossomed. As classical education evolved, cultural nationalisms surged, and a longing for transformative modes of artistic invention converged across Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, a vibrant literary landscape emerged.

On the periphery of this literary movement, writers often grappled with, and sometimes purposefully embraced, crude ideological manipulations of the inherited past. Yet, even amidst these ideological complexities, their unique approaches to the classics and their residual cultural authority breathed life into new, decentered idioms of English. These literary vernaculars, fragmented and infused with the influence of multiple languages, expanded the horizons of Anglophone literature, creating a rich tapestry of stories that resonated with a new generation.

This title, available on Cambridge Core, offers a captivating exploration of Celtic modernism's intricate history, shedding light on the ways in which classical influences intertwined with cultural nationalism and artistic innovation to shape the literary landscape of the time.

Weight: 606g
Dimension: 158 x 236 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108844864
Edition number: New ed