Description
Book SynopsisIntroduces Skelton and his work to readers unfamiliar with the poet, gathers together the vibrant strands of existing research, and opens up new avenues for future studies. John Skelton is a central literary figure and the leading poet during the first thirty years of Tudor rule. Nevertheless, he remains challenging and even contradictory for modern audiences. This book aims to provide an authoritative guide to this complex poet and his works, setting him in his historical, religious, and social contexts. Beginning with an exploration of his life and career, it goes on to cover all the major aspects of his poetry, from the literary traditions in which he wrote and the form of his compositions to the manuscript contexts and later reception. SEBASTIAN SOBECKI is Professor of Medieval English Literature and Culture at the University of Groningen; JOHN SCATTERGOOD is Professor (Emeritus) of Medieval and Renaissance English at Trinity College, Dublin. Contributors: Tom Betteridge, Julia Boffey, John Burrow, David Carlson, Helen Cooper, Elisabeth Dutton,A.S.G. Edwards, Jane Griffiths, Nadine Kuipers, Carol Meale, John Scattergood, Sebastian Sobecki, Greg Waite
Trade ReviewOverall, the collection is a rigorous and generous portrait of a man whose creative vernacularizing force was instrumental in both defying and moulding his own time. -- PARERGON
The book does an excellent job of situating Skelton in his literary, political, and cultural milieus. The essays are concise and accessible, and will serve as excellent springboards for more detailed study. Highly recommended. * CHOICE *
This volume provides a much needed critical introduction to the important early Tudor poet John Skelton. * MEDIUM AEVUM *
the chapters here strike an excellent balance between providing security, in the form of contextual scaffolding, and providing sharper edges, in the form of fresh or vivid accounts of how to understand Skelton's work. * CAMBRIDGE QUARTERLY *
Skelton's myriad contradictions often frustrate rather than engage readers, so this concise but rewarding Critical Companion, featuring contributions from a dozen heavyweight scholars, sheds welcome light on this perplexing writer's perplexing paradoxes. The volume elucidates Skelton's quirks and peculiarities by locating him squarely in the intellectual climate that informs his writing. Cogency, polish, and organizing design-virtues rarely associated with Skelton-are the signature characteristics of this collection, an indispensable volume for any reader of Skelton. * SPECULUM *
Table of ContentsIntroduction - Sebastian Sobecki John Skelton (?1460-1529): A Life in Writing - John Scattergood Religion - Thomas Betteridge Law and Politics - Sebastian Sobecki Classical Literature - John Scattergood Humanism - David R. Carlson Satires and Invectives - John A. Burrow Lyrics and Short Poems - Julia Boffey Skelton's Voice and Performance - Elisabeth Dutton Literary Tradition - Jane Griffiths Skelton and the English Language - Greg Waite Skelton's English Works in Manuscripts and Print - Carol Meale Skelton's English Canon - A S G Edwards Reception and Afterlife - Helen Cooper A Skelton Bibliography - Nadine Kuipers
