The Cambridge History of English Romantic Literature

An engaging account of literary production around the turn of the nineteenth century, now available in paperback.

James Chandler (Edited by)

9781107629196, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 19 July 2012

796 pages
22.8 x 15.2 x 3.5 cm, 1.24 kg

'Fifty years ago, literary studies was awash in big theories of Romanticism, created by the likes of M. H. Abrams, Geoffrey Hartman, and Harold Bloom; two decades later, Marilyn Butler argued that the very label 'Romantic' was 'historically unsound'. This collection suggests that no consensus has yet emerged: instead, the best of the essays suggest continuities with periods before and after. Rather than big theories, the contributors present kaleidoscopic snapshots of individual genres (the novel, the 'new poetry', drama, the ballad, children's literature); larger intellectual currents (John Brewer writes exceptionally well on 'sentiment and sensibility'); currently fashionable topics (imperialism, publishing history, disciplinarity); and - most interesting - the varying cultures of discrete localities (London, Ireland, Scotland). The result is an excellent book useful … for its summaries of early twenty-first-century thinking about British literary culture from the 1770s to the 1830s.' Choice

The Romantic period was one of the most creative, intense and turbulent periods of English literature, an age marked by revolution, reaction and reform in politics, and by the invention of imaginative literature in its distinctively modern form. This History presents an engaging account of six decades of literary production around the turn of the nineteenth century. Reflecting the most up-to-date research, the essays are designed both to provide a narrative of Romantic literature and to offer new and stimulating readings of the key texts. One group of essays addresses the various locations of literary activity – both in England and, as writers developed their interests in travel and foreign cultures, across the world. A second set of essays traces how texts responded to great historical and social change. With a comprehensive bibliography, timeline and index, this volume is an important resource for research and teaching in the field.

General introduction James Chandler
Part I. The Ends of Enlightenment: 1. Sentiment and sensibility John Brewer
2. Antiquarianism, balladry, and the rehabilitation of romance Susan Manning
3. The Romantics and the political economists Catherine Gallager
4. The problem of periodisation: Enlightenment, Romanticism, and the fate of system Clifford Siskin
Part II. Geographies: The Scenes of Literary Life: 5. London in the 1790s John Barrell
6. Edinburgh and lowland Scotland Ian Duncan
7. Romantic Ireland: 1750–1845 Luke Gibbons
8. France, Germany, America David Simpson
9. The 'Warm South' Esther Schor
10. Country matters W. J. T. Mitchell
11. Romanticism and the wider world: poetry, travel literature and Empire Nigel Leask
12. The homes of England Margot Finn
13. Writing, reading and the scenes of war Mary A. Favret
14. Regency London Simon During
Part III. Histories: Writing in the New Movements: 15. Rebellion, revolution, reform: the transit of the intellectuals Anne Janowitz
16. Changes in the world of publishing Adrian Johns
17. The new poetries Susan J. Wolfson
18. Romanticism and poetic autonomy Paul Hamilton
19. Transformations of the novel – I Deidre Lynch
20. Transformations of the novel – II Ina Ferris
21. Theatre, performance, and urban spectacle Julie Carlson
22. The epigenesis of genre: new forms from old Tilottama Rajan
23. The literature of the new sciences Jan Golinski
24. The making of child readers Katie Trumpener
Part IV. The Ends of Romanticism: 25. Representation restructured Frances Ferguson
26. Romantic cultural Imperialism Saree Makdisi
27. Romanticism and religious modernity: from natural supernaturalism to literary sectarianism Kevin Gilmartin
28. Is Romanticism finished? Jerome McGann
Chronology
Bibliographies
Index.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: c 1800 to c 1900 [DSBF], Literary studies: c 1500 to c 1800 [DSBD]