The Poetics of Decline in British Romanticism (Cambridge Studies in Romanticism, Series Number 118)

Anxieties about decline were a prominent feature of British public discourse in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. These anxieties were borne out repeatedly in books and periodicals, pamphlets and poems. Tracing the reciprocal development of Romantic-era Britain's rapidly expanding literary and market cultures through the lens of decline, Jonathan Sachs offers a fresh way of understanding British Romanticism. The book focuses on three aspects of literary experience - questions of value, the fascination with ruins, and the representation of slow time - to explore how shifting conceptions of progress and change inform a post-enlightenment sense of cultural decline. Combining close readings of Romantic literary texts with an examination of works from political economy, historical writing, classical studies, and media history the book reveals for the first time how anxieties about decline impacted literary form and shaped Romantic debates about poetry and the meaning of literature. Tags: General, English; Irish; Scottish; Welsh, Literary Criticism, Poetry, European, Renaissance Anxieties About Decline Were A Prominent Feature Of British Public Discourse In The Late Eighteenth And Early Nineteenth Century. These Anxieties Were Borne Out Repeatedly In Books And Periodicals, Pamphlets And Poems. Tracing The Reciprocal Development Of Romantic-era Britain's Rapidly Expanding Literary And Market Cultures Through The Lens Of Decline, Jonathan Sachs Offers A Fresh Way Of Understanding British Romanticism. The Book Focuses On Three Aspects Of Literary Experience -- Questions Of Value, The Fascination Of Ruins, And The Representation Of Slow Time -- To Explore How Shifting Conceptions Of Progress And Change Inform A Post-enlightenment Sense Of Cultural Decline. Combining Close Readings Of Romantic Literary Texts With An Examination Of Works From Political Economy, Historical Writing, Classical Studies, And Media History The Book Reveals For The First Time How Anxieties About Decline Impacted Literary Form And Shaped Romantic Debates About Poetry And The Meaning Of Literature. -- From The Introductory Preamble. Introduction -- From Morals To Measurement: Scaling Time, Anticipating The Future, And Quantifying Decline In Gibbon, Smith And Playfair -- The Decline Of Literature: Acceleration, Print Saturation, And Media Time -- The Politics Of Prediction: Anna Barbauld And The Ruins Of London -- On Ruins: Contingency, Time Parallax, And The Ruined Cottage -- Coleridge's Slow Time -- Fast Time, Slow Time, Deep Time: Decline, Extinction, And The Pace Of Romanticism. Jonathan Sachs. Includes Bibliographical References (pagrs 209-220) And Index. Cover Half-title page Series page Title page Copyright page Dedication Contents List of Figures Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations Introduction Chapter 1 From Morals to Measurement: Scaling Time, Anticipating the Future, and Quantifying Decline in Gibbon, Smith, and Playfair Chapter 2 The Decline of Literature: Acceleration, Print Saturation, and Media Time Chapter 3 The Politics of Prediction: Anna Barbauld and the Ruins of London Chapter 4 On Ruins: Contingency, Time Parallax, and “The Ruined Cottage” Chapter 5 Coleridge’s Slow Time Chapter 6 Fast Time, Slow Time, Deep Time: Decline, Extinction, and the Pace of Romanticism Notes Bibliography Index "During the three hundred years preceding the Romantic period, the portion of the population of England that lived in cities - largely in London but also in port cities, manufacturing towns, and regional trading and administrative centers - increased along with the expansion of the nation's commercial, manufacturing, and financial activity"--Provided by publisher This book provides a historically-nuanced account of anxieties about decline in Romantic-era Britain. Combining close readings of Romantic literary texts with study of works from political economy, historical writing, classical studies, and media history Jonathan Sachs offers, through the lens of decline, a new way of understanding British Romanticism. Offers fresh understanding of British Romanticism by exploring how anxieties about decline impacted debates about literature's form and meaning