Neil Corcoran's critical study explores the multifaceted works of Elizabeth Bowen, highlighting her novels, short stories, family history, and essays. It emphasizes how her writing not only draws from the Modernist movement but also innovatively reshapes its experimental traditions. This examination seeks to elevate Bowen's status in literary circles, showcasing her unique contributions to literature.
In 2016, Bob Dylan received the Nobel Prize in Literature 'for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition'. This collection of essays by leading poets and critics examine Dylan's poetic genius, as well as his cultural and musical influence,
The new edition, which like the original has had the advantage of Seamus Heaney's own cooperation and unstinted access to the poet's papers, follows the same pattern, adding a chapter apiece on the major collections of poems published since 1986, as well as separate discussions of Heaney's work as a translator and essayist.
Exploring the profound impact of Shakespeare on twentieth-century poets, this original study delves into the intertextual connections among these writers. It examines how Shakespeare's themes, language, and style shaped their work, revealing a rich tapestry of literary influence and dialogue. The analysis highlights the ways in which these poets engaged with Shakespeare's legacy, offering insights into their creative processes and the evolution of poetic expression in the modern era.
'Now I am alone,' says Hamlet before speaking a soliloquy. But what is a Shakespearean soliloquy? How has it been understood in literary and theatrical history? How does it work in screen versions of Shakespeare? What influence has it had? Neil Corcoran offers a thorough exploration and explanation of the origin, nature, development and reception of Shakespeare's soliloquies. Divided into four parts, the book supplies the historical, dramatic and theoretical contexts necessary to understanding, offers extensive and insightful close readings of particular soliloquies and includes interviews with eight renowned Shakespearean actors providing details of the practical performance of the soliloquy. A comprehensive study of a key aspect of Shakespeare's dramatic art, this book is ideal for students and theatre-goers keen to understand the complexities and rewards of Shakespeare's unique use of the soliloquy.