
The Poetry of Praise
J. A. Burrow(Author)
Cambridge University Press
Published on 3. March 2011
Book
Paperback/Softback
206 pages
978-0-521-17546-3 (ISBN)
Description
One of the chief functions of poetry in Antiquity, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance was to praise gods, people and things. Heroes and kings were glorified in many varieties of praise, and the arts of encomium and panegyric were codified by classical rhetoricians and later by writers on poetry. J. A. Burrow's study spans over two thousand years, from Pindar to Christopher Logue, but its main concern is with the English poetry of the Middle Ages, a period when praise poetry flourished. He argues that the 'decline of praise' in English literature since the seventeenth century, which has meant that modern readers and critics find it hard to appreciate this kind of poetry. This erudite but accessible account by a leading scholar of medieval literature shows why the poetry of praise was once so popular, and why it is still worth reading today.
Reviews / Votes
"Burrow, a leading expert in medieval English literature, has written yet another cogent, instructive study...The opening chapter is masterful...Summing up: Recommended."- L. Kaufman, Choice
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
Worked examples or Exercises
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 12 mm
Weight
343 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-521-17546-3 (9780521175463)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

J. A. Burrow
The Poetry of Praise
E-Book
05/2008
1st Edition
Cambridge University Press
€35.49
Available for download

J. A. Burrow
The Poetry of Praise
Book
05/2008
Cambridge University Press
€129.00
Shipment within 15-20 days
Person
Content
Preface; Introduction: from Pindar to Pound; 1. The poetics of praise; 2. Old English, especially Beowulf; 3. Middle English; 4. Geoffrey Chaucer; 5. The decline of praise: two modern instances; 6. Praise and its purposes; Bibliography; Index.