John Blades

Written in an age of revolutions, Lyrical Ballads represents a radical new way of thinking - not only about literature but also about our fundamental perceptions of the world. The poetry of Wordsworth and Coleridge continues to be among the most appealing and challenging in the rich tradition of English Literature; and Lyrical Ballads, composed at the height of the young authors' creative powers, is now widely acclaimed as a landmark in literary history. In this lively study, detailed analysis of individual poems is closely grounded in the literary, political and historical contexts in which Lyrical Ballads was first conceived, realised and subsequently expanded into two volumes. John Blades examines poetry from both volumes and carefully reassesses the poems in the light of Wordsworth's and Coleridge's revolutionary theories, while Part II of the study broadens the discussion by tracing the critical history of Lyrical Ballads over the two centuries since its first publication. Providing students with the critical and analytical skills with which to approach the poems, and offering guidance on further study, this stimulating book is essential reading.

Lyrical Ballads

Wordsworth and Coleridge

This comprehensive guide to the poetry and letters of John Keats offers a highly readable and detailed textual analysis of the themes and techniques of his work. Blades assesses all the major writing - including the narratives and the great odes - and goes on to examine the context of the verse through a survey of the poet's letters and an examination of the key features of nineteenth century Romanticism. This lively and imaginative study concludes with a discussion of some of the most influential critical responses to Keats's work.

John Keats

This guide to James Joyce's major novels presents a refreshing approach to understanding the work of this challenging and enigmatic giant of twentieth-century literature. Taking the student through a careful, step-by-step analysis of each text, John Blades demonstrates a practical and lively method of critical analysis.

How to Study James Joyce

The poems of John Keats have never ceased to fascinate and he is now justly celebrated as one of the greatest English poets, his verse rewarding the reader with a wealth of musical riches and highly evocative settings. Keats is also revered as a great thinker in verse and, accordingly, this comprehensive guide to his poetry and letters offers a highly readable and detailed textual analysis of the themes and techniques of his work. John Blades's stimulating in-depth study assesses the whole span of Keats's short career; from the early lyrical experiments, through the great epics, to the brilliant odes of 1819, and the haunting medieval narratives. Drawing on the comments of Keats's associates, Blades puts forward some challenging insights into the poet's methods and theory of poetry. The author goes on to examine the context of the verse through a clearly documented survey of Keats's letters - which highlight the trials and obstacles he faced, his attitude to the turmoil of his period, and above all his great passion for life - and an exploration of the key features of nineteenth century Romanticism. Concluding with a discussion of the work of four literary critics and their influential responses to Keats's work, this lively and sensitive guide is essential reading for anyone with an interest in a young poet who was very much in accord with the revolutionary currents of his time.

The appearance in 1609 of Shakespeare's Sonnets is cloaked in mystery and controversy, while the poems themselves are masterpieces of silence and deception. The intervening 4 centuries have done little to diminish either their mystique or their appeal, and recent years have witnessed an upsurge in interest in these brilliant and contentious lyrics. John Blades' penetrating study of the Sonnets is a highly lucid introduction to Shakespeare's subjects and poetic craft, involving detailed insights on the major themes, together with a comprehensive exploration of the Rival Poet and Dark Mistress sequences. Shakespeare: The Sonnets: - Draws on an extensive range of sonnets, offering a line-by-line analysis that engages with the poems as masterworks in their own right, as well as registering their relationship with Shakespeare's dramas - locates the Sonnets in their Elizabethan and humanist framework, with a survey of the history of the sonnet form and rhetorical conventions within the context of the early modern period. - Concludes with a brief assessment of critical attitudes towards the Sonnets over the 4 centuries since their publication and an indepth examination of 4 important critics. Providing students with the critical and analytical skills with which to approach the Sonnets, and featuring a helpful glossary and suggestions for further study, this fascinating book is an indispensable guide.

Shakespeare: The Sonnets

Presents the full text version of "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man," by James Joyce. Lists other novels also on the server, as well as poetry and reference resources. Contains a site search engine for Bibliomania, the Network Library.

John Blades

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