Wendy Cope

Wendy Cope is a popular poet in Britain, with her first two collections selling almost half a million copies. Despite her popularity, she has received only piecemeal critical attention, and this is the first in-depth study of her poetry. Rory Waterman considers her main collections, works for children, and uncollected poems, with close readings and detailed considerations of her cultural and literary contexts and poetic development.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 128 pages
Publication date: 01 June 2023
Publisher: Liverpool University Press

Wendy Cope is a highly acclaimed poet in Britain, with her first two collections selling nearly half a million copies. When Ted Hughes passed away in 1998, she was chosen by BBC listeners to succeed him as Poet Laureate. Cope is known for her unique style and occasional controversy, and she has been praised as one of the finest parodists of her generation. However, it may come as a surprise that her widespread popularity has been met with relatively little critical attention. Despite having released five major collections, Cope has received only fragmented critical reviews, primarily focused on book reviews. This is the first in-depth study of her poetry, conducted by Rory Waterman. Waterman examines Cope's published work, archival materials, and correspondence to explore her main collections, her works for children, and her unpublished poems. He conducts numerous close readings and provides detailed examinations of her cultural and literary contexts, as well as her poetic development. Through his analysis, Waterman sheds light on the unique qualities and significance of Cope's poetry, highlighting her ability to blend humor, emotion, and social commentary in her work.

Weight: 210g
Dimension: 140 x 217 x 12 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781802077872