An Introduction to English Poetry

Author:	Fenton, James
Binding:	Paperback
List Price:	$10.00
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Additional Info
Overview

ISBN:	9780374528898
Publisher:	Farrar Straus Giroux
Language:	English
Page Count:	137
Publication Date:	4/1/2004
Size:	8.49" l x 5.47" w x 0.48"
Series:	N/A

Category	Subject
Literary Criticism	Poetry

In this eminently readable guide to his abiding passion, he has distilled the essence of a library's - and a lifetime's - worth of delight. The pleasures of his own verse can be found in abundance here: economy, a natural ease, and most of all, surprise. What is English poetry? Fenton argues that it includes any recited words in English that marshal rhythm for their meaning - among them prisoner’s work songs, Broadway show tunes, and the cries of street vendors captured in verse. From these beginnings, Fenton describes the rudiments of - and, most important, the inspiration for - the musical verse we find in books, and concludes with an illuminating discussion of operas and songs. Fenton illustrates his comments with verse from all over the English-speaking world. Catholic in his taste, shrewd in his distinctions, and charmingly frank, Fenton is an ideal guide to everything to do with poetry, from the temperament of poets to their accomplishment, in all its variety. In all his writing, prose or verse, Fenton has always had the virtue of saying, in a way that seems effortless, precisely what lies at the heart of the matter. In this vein, An Introduction to English Poetry is one of his highest accomplishments.