See the Virgin Blest : The Virgin Mary in English Poetry

This is a fascinating literary-critical study of the ways the Virgin Mary has been presented in English poetry, from the later Middle Ages to today. It includes several focused studies on a particular poet and his/her representation of the Virgin, blending historical, theological and cultural issues with the dominant literary-critical approach. This is a fascinating literary-critical study of the ways the Virgin Mary has been presented in English poetry, from the later Middle Ages to today. Ranging across a vast variety of approaches to this timeless topic, Spurr shows how poets have spoken of their own beliefs and preoccupations (and of their cultures and their historical periods) in giving poetic expression to the most famous woman in history. Spurr{u2019}s ground-breaking account is a {u2018}must read{u2019} for anyone interested in the history of poetry, of religious verse and of representations of the eternal feminine in literature Front Matter....Pages i-xxiv Introduction....Pages 3-48 Medieval Maria....Pages 49-80 Renaissance Regina....Pages 81-122 The Romantic Virgin....Pages 123-166 Modernist Mary....Pages 167-196 Mary Today....Pages 197-218 Back Matter....Pages 219-243