Keats and History

The poems of John Keats have traditionally been regarded as most resistant of all Romantic poetry to the concerns of history and politics. But critical trends have begun to overturn this assumption. Keats and History brings together exciting work by British and American scholars, in thirteen essays which respond to interest in the historical dimensions of Keats's poems and letters, and open alternative perspectives on his achievement. Keats's writings are approached through politics, social history, feminism, economics, historiography, stylistics, aesthetics, and mathematical theory. The editor's introduction places the volume in relation to nineteenth- and early twentieth-century readings of the poet. Keats and History will be welcomed by students of English literature, and by all those interested in English Romanticism.

Table of Contents:
List of illustrations; Notes on contributors; Preface and editor's acknowledgements; Abbreviations and a note on texts; 1. Introduction Nicholas Roe; 2. Keats enters history: autopsy, Adonais and the fame of Keats Susan J. Wolfson; 3. Keats, the critics and the politics of envy Martin Aske; 4. Charles Cowden Clarke's 'Cockney' commonplace book John Barnard; 5. History, self and gender in Ode to Psyche Daniel P. Watkins; 6. Isabella in the market-place: Keats and feminism Kelvin Everest; 7. Keats, fictionality and finance: The Fall of Hyperion Terence Allan Hoagwood; 8. 'When this warm scribe my hand': writing and history in Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion Michael O'Neill; 9. Keats, history and the poets Vincent Newey; 10. Keats's commonwealth Nicholas Roe; 11. Keats, ekphrasis and history Theresa M. Kelley; 12. Keats's literary tradition and the politics of historiographical invention Greg Kucich; 13. Keats and the prison house of history Nicola Trott; 14. Writing numbers: Keats, Hopkins and the history of chance John Kerrigan; Index.

Review :
"A rich collection." Nineteeth-Century Literature "...we should be grateful to the various contributors to this volume, and to Nicholas Roe..." Virginia Quarterly Review "Of special interest to both the specialist and student in Keats studies is that the essays--each one erudite and engrossing--consider Keat's poems and letters in relation to his early intellectual background, political and social history, feminist issues, economics, aesthetics, and stylistics. A worthwhile addition to all large literature collections." Choice "...the essays in ^Keats and History are well-written and engaging and offer valuable new insights into the life, times, and work of John Keats. The collection convincingly illustrates how fruitful a consideration of Keats in the context of his age and culture can be, and it is likely to help generate further studies in this vein." Beth Lau, Journal of English and Germanic Philology "...provides original insight and judicious commentary to make the volume valuable; these essays will no doubt stimulate future scholarship and prompt a welcome debate over Keat's sense of history." Grant Scott, Studies in Romanticism "Keats andistory provides original insight and judicious commentary to make the volume valuable; these essays will no doubt stimulate future scholarship and prompt a welcome debate over Keat's sense of history." Grant Scott, Studies in Romanticism