The Poet's Poet : essays on the character and mission of the poet as interpreted in English verse of the last one hundred and fifty years

This collection of scholarly essays turns its focus toward the way poets have spoken about their own nature and purpose. Drawing from a wide span of English verse over the past one‑and‑a‑half centuries, it surveys the recurring tension between the sensual and the spiritual, showing how writers from Wordsworth to contemporary voices negotiate that duality. The author highlights both celebrated and lesser‑known poets, revealing how even minor figures echo the larger debates about the poet’s role.

Readers will discover a thoughtful attempt to trace a thread of unity amid the many contradictory statements poets have made about themselves. By examining the self‑reflexive moments that emerged with Romantic self‑consciousness and continued into today’s “renaissance of poetry,” the essays illuminate how poets envision themselves as both lovers of feeling and conveyors of deeper meaning. The work invites students of literature and philosophy alike to consider the poet’s own testimony as a valuable lens on artistic intention.