Wordsworth's Classical Undersong: Education, Rhetoric and Poetic Truth

by Richard Clancey

Overview

Wordsworth's classical education presents an amazing paradox. Gifted teachers trained him in the full rigours of classical Latin and Greek. But Wordsworth's schoolmasters were enlightened, liberal and advanced. They were committed to the Classics and to modern literature. In their enthusiasm they shared their volumes of contemporary poetry with Wordsworth. His was a holistic literary education. Wordsworth developed a profound love for the Classics and thus an enlightened zeal for a new poetry, a poetry capable of being compared with and even daring to compete with the Classical texts he so dearly loved. Richard Clancey's meticulously researched study presents new biographical information on Wordsworth's classical education and new facts about the education of his teachers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780333760345
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan UK
Publication date:	01/27/2000
Series:	Education, Rhetoric and Poetic Truth
Edition description:	2000
Pages:	215
Product dimensions:	5.51(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

RICHARD CLANCEY was born in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, and has lived there most of his life. He earned his AB in Classics at John Carroll University, Cleveland, and his MA in English at Notre Dame University and his PhD also in English at the University of Maryland, College Park. He taught at Dunbarton College of the Holy Cross in Washington, D.C., and then came to teach English literature at John Carroll. His published articles focus on Wordsworth, especially his use of Horace and Demosthenes. He has been a frequent participant in the Wordsworth Winter School, Grasmere, England. He is an enthusiastic supporter of the Cleveland Orchestra and a passionate swimmer.

Table of Contents

Introduction Wordsworth's Academic Training Wordsworth and Horace : Ethos and Poetic Truth Classical Undersong: 'lively images,' 'strong feelings,' 'purest Poesy' Notes Appendix: Aristotle's Ethical Proof: A Sampling of its Use in Recent Criticism Works Cited Index

Editorial Reviews

Clancey has given us a book that has real virtues...

European Romantic Review

Clancey has given us a book that has real virtues...

“Clancey's awkwardly long title actually understates the extraordinary reach of his learned, absorbing, and diversely valuable book.” —Choice

“...Clancey has given us a book that has real virtues...” —European Romantic Review

From the Publisher