Romantic Poetry

" ... this anthology's real strength lies in its wide-ranging, brilliant, and erudite annotations, which sometimes occupy as much space as the poetry itself.  One could nearly read this volume in lieu of formal instruction.  Packed with wonderful readings, excellent references (and recommendations for additional reading), extremely helpful footnotes, and engaging attention to the workings of form, Romantic Poetry:  An Annotated Anthology could make a significant contribution to many instructors, students, and general readers." (Keats-Shelley Journal)

"The head notes and commentary will prove invaluable, as they expertly identify literary sources and allusions.... The extensive biographies are superb, especially Charles Mahoney's on Keats, and the suggestions for further reading helpful ... Romantic Poetry does what it sets out to do and is a useful new addition to Blackwell's ongoing series of annotated anthologies." (Keats-Shelley Reviews, December 2008)

"The editors have a particular commitment to the role that an appreciation of poetic form can play in critical understanding, and it is on account of this formal detail that the anthology is so valuable. Introductory headnotes elucidate the subtleties of each poem's craft, while footnotes comment on line endings, rhyme patterns, and other features of the text. Some comments are so brilliantly incisive as to deserve separate publication, such as the account of the metre of Christabel: 'each line seems like a stealthy event' (p. 207). Without question, this is by far the best way that any reader could be introduced to these poets, and the anthology is careful not to suggest that an attention to poetic detail precludes other types of investigation. Understanding how a poem creates meaning, however, is the vital first step, and for this reason Romantic Poetry: An Annotated Anthology will doubtless be the standard teaching anthology for many years." Year's Work of English Studies (2010)