Majestic Indolence : English Romantic Poetry and the Work of Art

Spiegelman examines the theme of indolence-- both positive and negative--as it appears in the canonical work of four Romantic poets. He argues for a renewal of interest in literary formalism, aesthetics, and the pastoral genre. Wordsworth's "wise passiveness," Coleridge's "dejection" and torpor, Shelley's pastoral dolce far niente, and Keats's "delicious...indolence" are seen as individual manifestations of a common theme. Spiegelman argues that the trope of indolence originated in the religious, philosophical, psychological, and economic discourses from the middle ages to the late eighteenth century. In particular, the years surrounding the French revolution are marked by the rich variety of experiments conducted by these poets on this topic. Countering recent politically/ideologically motivated literary theory, Spiegelman looks, instead, at how the poems work. He argues for aesthetic appreciation and critique, which, he feels, the Romantic pastoral begs for in its celebration of nature and the sublime. The book concludes with Spiegelman following the Romantic legacy and its transformation into America (in the form of Whitman), and, further, into the twentieth century (in Frost's poems). Majestic Indolence Examines The Theme Of Indolence - In Both Its Positive And Negative Forms - As It Appears In The Work Of Four Canonical Romantic Poets. Wordsworth's Wise Passiveness, Coleridge's Dejection And Numbing Torpor, Shelley's Experiments With Pastoral Dolce Far Niente, And Keats's Figures Of Delicious Diligent Indolence Are Treated As Individual Manifestations Of A Common Theme. Spiegelman Pursues The Trope Of Indolence To Its Origins In The Economic, Medical, Philosophical, Psychological, Religious, And Literary Discourses From The Middle Ages To The Late Eighteenth Century. Offering An Alternative To Recent Politically And Ideologically Motivated Literary Theory, Spiegelman Looks Closely At How The Poems Work. He Argues For Renewed Appreciation Of Poetic Style, Literary Formalism, And Aesthetics As The Best Gauge To The Romantic Treatment Of Nature And The Sublime. The Book Concludes By Examining The Transformation Of English Romanticism At The Hands Of Two American Heirs, Walt Whitman And Robert Frost. Majestic Indolence: The Progress Of A Trope -- Wordsworth At Work And Play -- Coleridge And Dejection -- Keats's Figures Of Indolence -- States Of Possession: Shelley's Versions Of Pastoral -- Our American Cousins -- Appendix A: Shelley's Last Lyrics -- Appendix B: The Text Of Coleridge's Dejection: An Ode, Willard Spiegelman. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 177-212) And Index. Contents......Page 10 A Note on Editions and Abbreviations......Page 12 1 "Majestic Indolence": The Progress of a Trope......Page 16 2 Wordsworth at Work and Play......Page 34 3 Coleridge and Dejection......Page 71 4 Keats's Figures of Indolence......Page 96 5 States of Possession: Shelley's Versions of Pastoral......Page 121 6 Our American Cousins......Page 155 Appendix A: Shelley's Last Lyrics......Page 174 Appendix B: The Text of Coleridge's "Dejection: An Ode"......Page 184 Notes......Page 190 A......Page 226 C......Page 227 G......Page 228 L......Page 229 N......Page 230 R......Page 231 S......Page 232 W......Page 233 Y......Page 234 Spiegelman examines the theme of indolence-- both positive and negative--as it appears in the canonical work of four Romantic poets. He argues for a renewal of interest in literary formalism, aesthetics, and the pastoral genre. Wordsworth's "wise passiveness," Coleridge's "dejection" and torpor, Shelley's pastoral dolce far niente, and Keats's "delicious ... indolence" are seen as individual manifestations of a common theme. Spiegelman argues that the trope of indolence originated in the religious, philosophical, psychological, and economic discourses from the middle ages to the late eighteenth This study examines the theme of indolence in Romantic poetry and demonstrates the rich variety of experimental forms used by a quartet of poets: Wordsworth; Coleridge; Shelley; and Keats.