Literature & Literary Studies
Geoffrey Hill and the ends of poetry
by Tom Docherty
Description
The idea of the end is an essential motivic force in the poetry of Geoffrey Hill (1932-2016). This book shows that Hill's poems are characteristically 'end-directed'. They tend towards consummations of all kinds: from the marriages of meanings in puns, or of words in repeating figures and rhymes, to syntactical and formal finalities. The recognition of failure to reach such ends provides its own impetus to Hill's poetry.
This is the first book on Hill to take account of his last works. It is a significant contribution to the study of Hill's poems, offering a new thematic reading of his entire body of work. By using Hill's work as an example, the book also touches on questions of poetry's ultimate value: what are its ends and where does it wish to end up?
More Information
Rights Information
Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo [DRC], Congo, Republic of the, Costa Rica, Ivory Coast, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, French Guiana, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Hongkong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, China, Macedonia [FYROM], Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tokelau, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Cyprus, Palestine, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Liechtenstein, Azerbaijan, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, Dominican Republic, Myanmar, Monaco
Endorsements
'The lure of conclusion with no notion where to begin'. The idea of the end is an essential motivic force, even a place to begin, in the poetry of Geoffrey Hill (1932-2016). During his life, many echoed Harold Bloom's description of Hill as the 'greatest living poet in the English language'. Yet little has been written about the ends that Hill's poems forge; or those that they seek. This book shows Hill's poems are characteristically 'end-directed'. They tend towards consummations of all kinds: from the marriages of meanings in puns, or of words in repeating figures and rhymes, to syntactical and formal finalities. The recognition of failure to reach such ends provides its own impetus to Hill's work. This study of Hill's ends is, appropriately, the first to take account of Hill's last works: not only the concluding books collected in Broken Hierarchies: Poems 1952-2012, but also The Book of Baruch by the Gnostic Justin (2019). The book is a significant contribution to the study of Hill, offering a new thematic reading of his entire body of work. By using Hill's work as an example, the book also touches on questions of poetry's ultimate value. What do the technical and formal features of poems entail for their aesthetic finishedness; and for their final worth? What are poetry's ends and where does it wish to end up?
Reviews
'The lure of conclusion with no notion where to begin'. The idea of the end is an essential motivic force, even a place to begin, in the poetry of Geoffrey Hill (1932-2016). During his life, many echoed Harold Bloom's description of Hill as the 'greatest living poet in the English language'. Yet little has been written about the ends that Hill's poems forge; or those that they seek. This book shows Hill's poems are characteristically 'end-directed'. They tend towards consummations of all kinds: from the marriages of meanings in puns, or of words in repeating figures and rhymes, to syntactical and formal finalities. The recognition of failure to reach such ends provides its own impetus to Hill's work. This study of Hill's ends is, appropriately, the first to take account of Hill's last works: not only the concluding books collected in Broken Hierarchies: Poems 1952-2012, but also The Book of Baruch by the Gnostic Justin (2019). The book is a significant contribution to the study of Hill, offering a new thematic reading of his entire body of work. By using Hill's work as an example, the book also touches on questions of poetry's ultimate value. What do the technical and formal features of poems entail for their aesthetic finishedness; and for their final worth? What are poetry's ends and where does it wish to end up?
Author Biography
Tom Docherty is an independent researcher who received his PhD from Pembroke College, Cambridge in 2018
Trusted Partner
Manchester University Press
Manchester University Press is a leading UK publisher known for excellent research in the humanities and social sciences.
View all titlesBibliographic Information
- Publisher Manchester University Press
- Publication Date November 2024
- Orginal LanguageEnglish
- ISBN/Identifier 9781526181893 / 1526181894
- Publication Country or regionUnited Kingdom
- FormatPrint PDF
- Pages336
- ReadershipGeneral/trade
- Publish StatusPublished
- Dimensions234 X 156 mm
- Biblio NotesDerived from Proprietary 6240
- Reference Code16539
Thank you for proceeding with this offer.
Manchester University Press has chosen to review this offer before it proceeds.
You will receive an email update that will bring you back to complete the process.
You can also check the status in the My Offers area
Manchester University Press has chosen to review this offer before it proceeds.
You will receive an email update that will bring you back to complete the process.
You can also check the status in the My Offers area
Please wait while the payment is being prepared.
Do not close this window.
(c) Copyright 2024 - Frankfurt Rights. All Right Reserved