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This collection of essays explores the extensive use of Latin and Greek literary texts in a range of recent poetry written in English. It contains both contributions from poets, who include Tony Harrison, Seamus Heaney, and Michael Longley, talking about their uses of classical literature in their own work in lyric poetry and in theatre poetry, and essays from academic experts on the same topics. Living Classics asks why contemporary poets are returning to making versions of and allusions to Greek and Roman literature in their work, and interrogates the parallel interest of modern classical scholars in the contemporary reception of classical texts.
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LIVING CLASSICS
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Living Classics Greece and Rome in Contemporary Poetry in English
Edited by S . J. HA R R I S ON
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Great Clarendon Street, Oxford ox2 6dp Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide in Oxford New York Auckland Cape Town Dar es Salaam Hong Kong Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Nairobi New Delhi Shanghai Taipei Toronto With offices in Argentina Austria Brazil Chile Czech Republic France Greece Guatemala Hungary Italy Japan Poland Portugal Singapore South Korea Switzerland Thailand Turkey Ukraine Vietnam Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain other countries Published in the United States by Oxford University Press Inc., New York © Oxford University Press 2009 The moral rights of the author have been asserted Database right Oxford University Press (maker) First published 2009 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographics rights organization. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above You must not circulate this book in any other binding or cover and you must impose the same condition on any acquirer British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Data available Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Living classics : Greece and Rome in contemporary poetry in English / edited by S. J. Harrison. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978–0–19–923373–1 (acid-free paper) 1. English poetry—20th century—Classical influences. 2. American poetry—20th century—Classical influences. 3. New Zealand poetry—20th century—Classical influences. 4. Classical literature—Influence. 5. English poetry—English-speaking countries—20th century. I. Harrison, S. J. PR508.C68L58 2009 821 .9140935838—dc22 2009016664 Typeset by SPI Publisher Services, Pondicherry, India Printed in Great Britain on acid-free paper by MPG Books Group, Bodmin and King’s Lynn, Norfolk ISBN 978–0–19–923373–1 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
For Christopher Nicholson 10.4.2008
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Editor’s Preface The initial stimulus for this book derives from a conference on the same theme held in Oxford in September 2005 at the Third Passmore Edwards Colloquium. Chapters 1–3, 5, 8, 9 and 11–14 are revised versions of talks given on that occasion. My thanks go to Corpus Christi and Oriel Colleges, Oxford, for hosting the conference, and to their respective staffs (especially Sam Cunningham at Corpus) for their assistance. The conference was generously funded by the Passmore Edwards Fund of the Faculty Board of English at Oxford, which sponsors academic activity linking Classics and English: I thank the Board and its