<p>The Romantic period witnessed decisive interest in how feeling might align with forms of artistic expression. Many critical studies have focused on the serious side and melancholic moods of Romantic poets. Romantic Poets and the Laughter of Feeling instead embraces the sublime and the ridiculous to offer an original and compelling new reading of British Romanticism. It reveals the decisive role laughter and the laughable play in Romantic aesthetics, emotions, and ethics.<br /> <br /> Matthew Ward shows that laughter was one of the primary means by which Romantics embraced and expanded upon, but also frequently aped and lampooned, sympathetic feeling. The laughter of feeling is both the expression of sympathy and an articulation of its implications, prejudices, and constraints. For Romantic poets like Wordsworth, Shelley, and Keats, the sound of laughter carries the hope that greater knowledge of others derives from feeling for and with them through poetry, and this might lead to a better understanding of oneself. Yet laughter also makes these poets acutely aware that our emotional lives are utterly unfamiliar and perhaps ultimately unknowable. Their prosody of laughter enlivens and exposes; it embodies their sense of--and ambitions for--poetry, and yet calls those matters into the most comical and gravest doubt. Laughter helps define what it is to be human. This book shows that it also defines what it is to be a 'Romantic' poet.</p>

Romantic Poets and the Laughter of Feeling

Literature & Fiction

Ward, Matthew

History & Criticism

Oxford University Press

Thomas Hobbes and Political Thought in Ireland c.1660- c.1730: The Leviathan Released (Oxford Historical Monographs)

History

Europe

<p><div><b><i>Legacy of Ash</i> is an unmissable fantasy debut--an epic tale of intrigue and revolution, soldiers and assassins, ancient magic and the eternal clash of empires.</b></div> <div><b><br /></b></div> <div> <div><i>A shadow has fallen over the Tressian Republic.</i></div> <div><br /></div> <div>Ruling families -- once protectors of justice and democracy -- now plot against one another with sharp words and sharper knives. Blinded by ambition, they remain heedless of the threat posed by the invading armies of the Hadari Empire.</div> <div><br /></div> <div><i>Yet as Tressia falls, heroes rise.</i></div> <div><br /></div> <div>Viktor Akadra is the Republic's champion. A warrior without equal, he hides a secret that would see him burned as a heretic.</div> <div><br /></div> <div>Josiri Trelanis Viktor's sworn enemy. A political prisoner, he dreams of reigniting his mother's failed rebellion.</div> <div><br /></div> <div>And yet Calenne Trelan, Josiri's sister, seeks only to break free of their tarnished legacy; to escape the expectation and prejudice that haunts the family name.</div> <div><br /></div> <div>As war spreads across the Republic, these three must set aside their differences in order to save their home. Yet decades of bad blood are not easily set aside. And victory -- if it comes at all -- will demand a darker price than any of them could have imagined.</div> </div> <div><br /></div> <div><br /></div></p>

Legacy of Ash (The Legacy Trilogy, 1)

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Fantasy

Orbit

<p><div> <div><b>Warfare, myth and magic collide in <i>Legacy of Steel</i>, the spectacular sequel to Matthew Ward's acclaimed fantasy debut <i>Legacy of Ash</i>.</b></div> <div><b><br /></b></div> <div><b>"Outstanding ... a ripping yarn that more than earns its length." --<i>Publishers Weekly</i> (starred review)</b></div> <div><b><br /></b></div> <div> <div> <div>A year has passed since an unlikely alliance saved the Tressian Republic from fire and darkness, at great cost. Thousands perished, and Viktor Akadra -- the Republic's champion -- has disappeared.</div> <div><br /></div> <div>While the ruling council struggles to mend old wounds, other factions sense opportunity. The insidious Parliament of Crows schemes in the shadows, while to the east the Hadari Emperor gathers his armies. As turmoil spreads across the Republic, its ripples are felt in the realms of the divine.</div> <div><br /></div> <div>War is coming . . . and this time the gods themselves will take sides.</div> </div> </div> <div> <div><br /></div> <div><b>The Legacy Trilogy</b></div> <div><i>Legacy of Ash</i></div> <div><i>Legacy of Steel</i></div> </div> </div></p>

Legacy of Steel (The Legacy Trilogy, 2)

<p><div> <div><b><i>Legacy of Light</i> is the spectacular conclusion to Matthew Ward's acclaimed Legacy trilogy--an unmissable epic fantasy series of war and intrigue perfect for fans of George R. R. Martin, Brent Weeks, and Brandon Sanderson.&nbsp;</b><br /> <br /> &nbsp;<br /> <br /> For the first time in many years, the Tressian Republic and the Hadari Empire are at peace. But darkness never sleeps.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> In Tregard, Empress Melanna Saranal struggles to protect a throne won at great cost.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> In Tressia, Lord Protector Viktor Droshna seeks to restore all he's lost through forbidden means.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> And as the sins of the past are once more laid bare, every road will lead to war.</div> </div> <div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><b>The Legacy Trilogy</b></div> <div><i>Legacy of Ash</i></div> <div><i>Legacy of Steel</i></div> </div> <div><i>Legacy of Light</i></div></p>

Legacy of Light (The Legacy Trilogy, 3)

Genre Fiction

<p><b>The first in an exciting, action-packed new trilogy from epic fantasy author Matthew Ward,&nbsp;<i>The Darkness Before Them</i>&nbsp;introduces readers to a world ruled by a dangerous immortal king, where souls fuel magic, and a supernatural mist known as the Veil threatens to engulf the land.&nbsp;</b> <p>These are dark times for the Kingdom of Khalad. As the magical mists of the Veil devour the land, the populace struggles beneath the rule of ruthless noble houses and their uncaring immortal king.</p> <p>Kat doesn't care about any of that. A talented thief, she's pursuing one big score that will settle the debt that destroyed her family. No easy feat in a realm where indentured spirits hold vigil over every vault and treasure room. However, Kat has a unique gift: she can speak to those spirits, and even command them. She'll need every advantage she can get.</p> <p>Kat's not a hero. She just wants to be free. To have her old life back. But as rebellion rekindles and the war for Khalad's future begins, everyone - Kat included - will have to pick a side.</p></p>

The Darkness Before Them (The Soulfire Saga, 1)

<p><b>The second book in the action-packed new trilogy from epic fantasy author Matthew Ward, the Soulfire Saga is set in a world ruled by an immortal king, where souls fuel magic and a supernatural mist known as the Veil threatens to engulf the land. Perfect for readers of John Gwynne and Anthony Ryan.&nbsp;</b><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> The sprawling Kingdom of Khalad stands alone. Severed from the rest of the world by an ancient, arcane war, its folk toil behind a wall of living mist, beholden to an undead king and his barons.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> But hope lies with two figures: Kat, an accomplished thief, and Vallant, a rebel and folk hero. Together they will light a fire that will burn away the corruption and tyranny of King Diar's rule.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> But only if they succeed . . .</p>

The Fire Within Them (The Soulfire Saga, 2)

<p><b>Set in a world of ancient myth and dangerous magic,&nbsp;<i>The Lie That Binds Them&nbsp;</i>is the heart-pounding conclusion to Matthew Ward's Soulfire Saga, where a thief dares to seek vengeance against an immortal king--and finds herself on the path to war.</b><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> The kingdom of Khalad is ruled by a new and brutal despot and its rebels scattered across its vast lands. With folk hero Vallant missing, Kat is now the leader of the rebellion.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> When an assassination attempt rattles the kingdom, Kat turns to a powerful new ally for help. The cost of victory will be high, but time is running out to save Khalad.</p>

The Lie That Binds Them (The Soulfire Saga)

Legacy of Ash: Book One of the Legacy Trilogy

Legacy of Steel: Book Two of the Legacy Trilogy

<p>'Outstanding' Publishers Weekly (starred review)\nWarfare, myth and magic collide in Legacy of Steel, the spectacular sequel to Matthew Ward's acclaimed fantasy debut, Legacy of Ash.\nA year has passed since an unlikely alliance saved the Tressian Republic from fire and darkness - at great cost. Thousands perished, and Viktor Akadra - the Republic's champion - has disappeared.\nWhile the ruling council struggles to mend old wounds, other factions sense opportunity. The insidious Parliament of Crows schemes in the shadows, while to the east the Hadari Emperor gathers his armies. As turmoil spreads across the Republic, its ripples are felt in the realms of the divine.\nWar is coming . . . and this time the gods themselves will take sides.\nPraise for the series:\n'A hugely entertaining debut' John Gwynne\n'Epic fantasy as it should be; big, bold and very addictive' Starburst\n'Incredible action scenes' Fantasy Hive\n'Magnificent and epic' Grimdark Magazine</p>

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