Poetry & Responsibility

The study by Neil Corcoran explores the responsibility of modern lyric poetry in British, Irish, American, and foreign-language poets, focusing on forms of modern elegy. It discusses the poetry of the First World War and the Cold War, the poetry and politics of modern Ireland, and the relations between poetry and prose, painting, and song. The book argues that exemplary modern lyric poetry can resist various forms of accommodation or appropriation and becomes a way of happening, a mouth.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 218 pages
Publication date: 05 January 2021
Publisher: Liverpool University Press

This comprehensive study by Neil Corcoran delves into the diverse range of responsibilities that exemplary modern lyric poetry assumes or exposes itself to. It explores the multifaceted nature of these responsibilities, encompassing social, cultural, political, aesthetic, and personal realms. The book examines the poetry of British, Irish, and American poets, as well as influential foreign-language poets whose works have been translated into influential English editions. It delves into the rich tapestry of poetic expressions during the First World War and the Cold War, highlighting the works of poets such as Owen, Rosenberg, Pasternak, Zbigniew Herbert, and Robert Lowell. Additionally, it explores the poetry and politics of modern Ireland, examining the contributions of Yeats, MacNeice, Heaney, and other notable poets. The study also explores the intricate relationships between poetry and prose, painting, and song, highlighting the works of Frank O Hara, Ted Hughes, and Bob Dylan.

A central focus of Poetry & Responsibility lies in the exploration of various forms of modern elegy. The book delves into topics such as the conflicting impulses in Owen between his roles as a soldier and a poet, Yeats' gradual transformation of his responsibilities as an Irish schools inspector into one of his greatest poetic achievements, Heaney's insistence that poetry must apologize for itself, O Hara's utilization of a camp sensibility to write about 1950s Black American culture, Herbert's reinterpretation of Hamlet as a reflection of Warsaw Pact Poland, and the political and aesthetic significance of Dylan's relentless self-revision.

Through its engagement with these topics, Poetry & Responsibility makes a compelling argument that exemplary modern lyric poetry possesses the capacity to resist various forms of accommodation or appropriation. It emerges as a way of happening, a mouth that speaks truth to power, challenging the status quo and challenging the dominant narratives. This study offers a profound exploration of the complex interplay between poetry and responsibility, providing valuable insights into the transformative power of poetry in shaping our understanding of the world.

Weight: 358g
Dimension: 154 x 233 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781800348776