Introduction: Situating contemporary poetry

Rogers, Samuel

Abstract

The Yearbook of English Studies for 2021 examines contemporary poetry from Britain and Ireland. Edited by Samuel Rogers, the volume contains fourteen essays exploring a range of poetry from 1980 and the present. Poetry continues to be a dynamic cultural force, though the past four decades have seen recurrent debates over whether its readership is shrinking or swelling. Certainly, the digital age has reshaped our relationship with media, altering both the publishing world and the economies of attention. Is poetry anachronistic, or has its condensed nature allowed it to thrive? Since we are still living it, contemporary poetry resists being surveyed from any detached perspective. This volume instead looks in depth at a range of poets, illustrating some diverse possibilities for poetic energy. A handful of senior poets are discussed, and the impact of their late work appraised. However, the dominant concern is with poets who began publishing since 1980.

• Online Publication Date: Nov 16, 2021
• Publication Date: Nov 16, 2021
• Deposit Date: Aug 24, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 17, 2022
• Pages: 1-8
• Series Title: Yearbook of English Studies
• Series Number: 51
• Series ISSN: 0306-2473
• Book Title: Contemporary British and Irish Poetry
• ISBN: 9781839542350
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.5699/yearenglstud.51.2021.0001
• Keywords: Poetry, Contemporary Poetry, English Literature
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/7676456
• Publisher URL: http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/Contemporary-British-Irish-Poetry
• Contract Date: Aug 8, 2021