Women, Poetry and the Voice of a Nation

A groundbreaking study of women poets in the UK and Ireland examines their four laureate roles and re-evaluates the authority of poetry by women. It explores how poetry can be both nation-building and promote cultural internationalism, and considers how it is treated in the school curriculum. The book highlights the extraordinary changes these women have fought to achieve, revitalizing public offices and engaging with poetic icons of the past, linking poetry and education, and joining poetry with politics.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 248 pages
Publication date: 16 August 2023
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

A groundbreaking exploration of women poets delving into the four prestigious roles of the United Kingdom and Ireland, encompassing comprehensive case studies of Gillian Clarke, Carol Ann Duffy, Liz Lochhead, and Paula Meehan. This book re-establishes the significance of poetry written by women, delving into its potential to foster cultural internationalism and contribute to nation-building. It also examines the treatment of poetry in the school curriculum, highlighting the transformative journeys undertaken by these poets from marginalized poetesses of the 1970s to laureates at the forefront of cultural establishments in the 21st century. Through in-depth analysis, the book explores how these women revitalized these public offices, their interventions in contemporary geopolitics and national self-understanding, and the ways in which they shaped their roles by engaging with poetic icons of the past, integrating poetry and education, and bridging poetry with politics. This seminal work sheds light on the remarkable contributions of women poets to the literary landscape, challenging historical divisions and paving the way for a more inclusive and diverse poetic canon.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781474489850