21 | 19: Contemporary Poets in the Nineteenth-Century Archive

Synopsis

Essays on the modern relevance of Thoreau, Whitman, Dickinson, and more “suggest the ways poetry might be both agitator and balm in times of social crisis” (Poets & Writers).The nineteenth century is often viewed as a golden age of American literature, a historical moment when national identity was emergent and ideals such as freedom, democracy, and individual agency were promising, even if belied in reality by violence and hypocrisy. The writers of this “American Renaissance”—Thoreau, Fuller, Whitman, Emerson, and Dickinson, among many others—produced a body of work that has been both celebrated and contested by following generations.As the twenty-first century unfolds in a United States characterized by deep divisions, diminished democracy, and dramatic transformation of identities, the editors of this singular book approached a dozen North American poets, asking them to engage with texts by their predecessors in a manner that avoids both aloofness from the past and too-easy elegy. The resulting essays, delving into topics including race and gun violence, dwell provocatively on the border between the lyrical and the scholarly, casting fresh critical light on the golden age of American literature and exploring a handful of texts not commonly included in its canon. A polyvocal collection that reflects the complexity of the cross-temporal encounter it enacts, 21 | 19 offers a re-reading of the “American Renaissance” and new possibilities for imaginative critical practice today.“Displaying a sophisticated sense of poetics as well as a good grasp of history and its implications for the present moment . . . [the editors] have done a remarkable job of bringing together such a challenging collection.” —Harvard Review

Copyright:

2019

Book Details

Book Quality:

Publisher Quality

Book Size:

221 Pages

ISBN-13:

9781571319869

Related ISBNs:

9781571313775

Publisher:

Milkweed Editions

Date of Addition:

07/20/23

Copyrighted By:

. Selection, arrangement, and introduction by Kristen Case and Alexandra Manglis. Individual contributions are protected by copyright and reprinted with permission.

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

History, Poetry, Literature and Fiction, Language Arts

Submitted By:

Bookshare Staff

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.

Edited by:

Alexandra Manglis

Edited by:

Kristen Case

Foreword by:

Fred Moten