Reading Literature Historically: Drama and Poetry from Chaucer to the Reformation
Author(s): Greg Walker (Author)
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
Publication Date: 6 Feb. 2013
Language: English
Print length: 216 pages
ISBN-10: 0748681019
ISBN-13: 9780748681013
Book Description
Pioneer of early-modern literary historicism reads Medieval and early Tudor drama and poetry historically. How far should we try to read medieval and early modern texts historically? Does the attempt to uncover how such texts might have been received by their original readers and audiences uncover new, hitherto unexpected contemporary resonances in them? Or does it flatten works of art into mere ‘secondary sources’ for historical analysis? This book makes the case for the study of literature in context. It demonstrates the value of historical and cultural analysis alongside traditional literary scholarship for enriching our understanding of plays and poems from the medieval and early Tudor past and of the cultures which produced and received them. It equally accepts the risks involved in that kind of study. It makes the case for reading medieval and early Tudor literature historically. It includes case studies of the interaction between literature and politics, from Chaucer to the reign of Henry VIII. It offers detailed analysis of key medieval and Renaissance texts, Chaucer’s Miller’s Tale, Sir Gawain and Green Knight, Sir David Lyndsay’s A Satire of the Three Estates. It turns a spotlight on hitherto neglected texts that reveal the challenges, rewards and potential pitfalls of reading literature historically.
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Book Description
Pioneer of early-modern literary historicism reads Medieval & early Tudor drama & poetry historically
From the Back Cover
‘This volume seems particularly timely in emphasising the users of culture, whether they are readers or spectators. A landmark for negotiated interdisciplinarity.’ John J. McGavin, University of Southampton ‘A welcome contribution to the important debate on the role of the literary in historical and socio-political scholarly analyses.’ Elaine Treharne, Stanford University A pioneer of early-modern literary historicism reads Medieval and early Tudor drama and poetry historically How far should we try to read medieval and early modern texts historically? Does the attempt to uncover how such texts might have been received by their original readers and audiences uncover new, hitherto unexpected contemporary resonances in them? Or does it flatten works of art into mere ‘secondary sources’ for historical analysis? This book makes the case for the study of literature in context. It demonstrates the value of historical and cultural analysis alongside traditional literary scholarship for enriching our understanding of plays and poems from the medieval and early Tudor past and of the cultures which produced and received them. It equally accepts the risks involved in that kind of study. Greg Walker is Regius Professor of Rhetoric and English Literature at the University of Edinburgh. He has published extensively on the literature, drama and history of the late medieval and Tudor periods and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, The English Association and The Society of Antiquaries, a member of the Council of the AHRC, and a former Chair of the Council for College and University English. Cover image: Party at Haddon Hall (unnamed artist) (c) Mary Evans Picture Library. Cover design: [EUP logo] http://www.euppublishing.com
About the Author
Greg Walker is Regius Professor of Rhetoric and English Literature at the University of Edinburgh.
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