The Sonnet

The Sonnet provides a comprehensive study of one of the oldest and most popular forms of poetry, widely used by Shakespeare, Milton, and Wordsworth, and still used today by poets such as Seamus Heaney, Tony Harrison, and Carol Ann Duffy. This book combines a broad historical overview of the sonnet with detailed critical analysis to show how the sonnet has achieved its special status and popularity among poets in Britain, Ireland, and America.

Literature & Fiction

Regan, Stephen

History & Criticism

Oxford University Press

The Sonnet provides a comprehensive study of one of the oldest and most popular forms of poetry, widely used by Shakespeare, Milton, and Wordsworth, and still used centuries later by poets such as Seamus Heaney, Tony Harrison, and Carol Ann Duffy. This book traces the development of the sonnet from its origins in medieval Italy to its widespread acceptance in modern Britain, Ireland, and America. It shows how the sonnet emerges from the aristocratic courtly centres of Renaissance Europe and gradually becomes the chosen form of radical political poets such as Milton. The book draws on detailed critical analysis of some of the best-known sonnets written in English to explain how the sonnet functions as a poetic form, and it argues that the flexibility and versatility of the sonnet have given it a special place in literary history and tradition.

Here is the only available paperback edition of George Moore's powerful novel, Esther Waters. Controversial and influential on its first appearance in 1894, the book opened up a new direction for the English realist tradition. Unflinching in its depiction of the dark and sordid side of Victorian culture, it remains one of the great novels of London life and labor in the 1890s. The novel depicts with extraordinary candor Esther's struggles against prejudice and injustice, and the growth of her character as she determines to protect her son. Her moving story is set against the backdrop of a world of horse racing, betting, and public houses, whose vivid depiction led James Joyce to call Esther Waters "the best novel of modern English life." The new introduction by Stephen Regan examines the novel's vivid depiction of Victorian sub-culture, horse-racing and gambling, the London tavern, and the life of working-class women, and he also explores the stylistic influences of French naturalism and Impressionist painting. The new edition includes considerably expanded explanatory notes that provide helpful glosses on unfamiliar expressions and define a range of horse racing and betting terms. In addition, there is an improved chronology and a new bibliography. About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Esther Waters (Oxford World's Classics)

MOORE, GEORGE

British & Irish

Philip Larkin (Critics debate)

Macmillan

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Books by Regan, Stephen