Subject Area: English
This course can also be studied in the following specialisations: Creative Writing

In this course we will study some of the most accomplished and influential poems written in English between 1680 and 1900. We will read the works of a wide range of poets in a variety of genres, from biting satire to ravishing love poetry, and will consider these works in relation to their historical contexts, from political revolution to scientific developments. We will also discuss a set of key problems in poetics, or the theory of poetry, from rhyme and metre to the social functions of poetry. We will thus use each week’s group of poems to test a key feature of poetic theory, and we will use that theory to gain a better understanding of the poems’ historical meanings. The aim is to develop a thorough grounding in the development of poetry in English, to hone our skills in analysing poetry, and to develop a sophisticated grasp of contemporary debates about the theory of poetry.