The Poetry of Religious Sorrow in Early Modern England

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title The Poetry of Religious Sorrow in Early Modern England
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Gary Kuchar
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:254
Dimensions(mm): Height 229,Width 152
Category/GenreLiterary studies - general
Literary studies - c 1500 to c 1800
Literary studies - poetry and poets
Theology
ISBN/Barcode 9780521174428
ClassificationsDewey:821.3093828
Audience
Professional & Vocational
Illustrations Worked examples or Exercises

Publishing Details

Publisher Cambridge University Press
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publication Date 3 March 2011
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

In early modern England, religious sorrow was seen as a form of spiritual dialogue between the soul and God, expressing how divine grace operates at the level of human emotion. Through close readings of both Protestant and Catholic poetry, Kuchar explains how the discourses of 'devout melancholy' helped generate some of the most engaging religious verse of the period. From Robert Southwell to John Milton, from Aemilia Lanyer to John Donne, the language of 'holy mourning' informed how poets represented the most intimate and enigmatic aspects of faith as lived experience. In turn, 'holy mourning' served as a way of registering some of the most pressing theological issues of the day. By tracing poetic representations of religious sorrow from Crashaw's devotional verse to Shakespeare's weeping kings, Kuchar expands our understanding of the interconnections between poetry, theology and emotion in post-Reformation England.