
On English Poetry (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Being an Irregular Approach to the Psychology of This Art, from Evidence Mainly SubjectiveBy Robert GravesLength4h 49m
About this audiobook
Robert Graves's On English Poetry is a lucid, combative inquiry into the making of poems: their rhythms, images, verbal pressures, and mysterious sources of authority. Written in the wake of Georgian verse and amid the emergence of modernism, the book resists both mechanical prosody and vague romanticism, treating poetry as a disciplined craft animated by instinct, memory, and imaginative shock. Its style is aphoristic, learned, and provocatively personal. Graves brought to this study the credentials of a practicing poet rather than a detached theorist. A veteran of the First World War, he had experienced language under extreme pressure and emerged distrustful of public rhetoric and inherited convention. His classical education, friendship with contemporary poets, and lifelong fascination with myth and inspiration all inform the book's attempt to explain how poems are made and why they endure. Readers interested in English literary criticism, poetic technique, or the intellectual climate after 1918 will find this volume especially rewarding. It is not a neutral handbook, but a sharp, idiosyncratic meditation by a major poet on his art. On English Poetry remains valuable for anyone seeking to understand poetry as both craft and necessity.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- An Author Biography reveals milestones in the author's life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
GenreLiterary Classics
Length4 hrs 49 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateNov 23, 2023
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
2Introduction
3Synopsis
4Historical Context
5Author Biography
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6I DEFINITIONS
7II THE NINE MUSES
8III POETRY AND PRIMITIVE MAGIC
9IV CONFLICT OF EMOTIONS
10V THE PATTERN UNDERNEATH
11VI “INSPIRATION”
12VII THE PARABLE OF MR. POETA AND MR. LECTOR
13VIII THE CARPENTER’S SON
14IX THE GADDING VINE
15X THE DEAD END AND THE MAN OF ONE POEM
16XI SPENSER’S CUFFS
17XII CONNECTION OF POETRY AND HUMOUR
18XIII DICTION
19XIV THE DAFFODILS
20XV VERS LIBRE
21XVI MOVING MOUNTAINS
22XVII LA BELLE DAME SANS MERCI
23XVIII THE GENERAL ELLIOTT
24XIX THE GOD CALLED POETRY
25XX LOGICALIZATION
26XXI LIMITATIONS
27XXII THE NAUGHTY BOY
28XXIII THE CLASSIC AND ROMANTIC IDEAS
29XXIV COLOUR
30XXV PUTTY
31XXVI READING ALOUD
32XXVII L’ARTE DELLA PITTURA
33XXVIII ON WRITING MUSICALLY
34XXIX THE USE OF POETRY
35XXX HISTORIES OF POETRY
36XXXI THE BOWL MARKED DOG
37XXXII THE ANALYTIC SPIRIT
38XXXIII RHYMES AND ALLITERATION
39XXXIV AN AWKWARD FELLOW CALLED ARIPHRADES
40XXXV IMPROVISING NEW CONVENTIONS
41XXXVI WHEN IN DOUBT
42XXXVII THE EDITOR WITH THE MUCKRAKE
43XXXVIII THE MORAL QUESTION
44XXXIX THE POET AS OUTSIDER
45XL A POLITE ACKNOWLEDGMENT
46XLI FAKE POETRY, BAD POETRY AND MERE VERSE
47XLII A DIALOGUE ON FAKE-POETRY
48XLIII ASKING ADVICE
49XLIV SURFACE FAULTS, AN ILLUSTRATION
50XLV LINKED SWEETNESS LONG DRAWN OUT