Watchwords - by Lily Gurton-Wachter (Hardcover)

About the Book

This book introduces new research about the history of attention-in politics, medicine, science, philosophy, ethics, aesthetics, and the rhetoric of war-to reframe British Romantic poetry as proposing and eliciting alternative modes of watchfulness, attention, and neglect.

Book Synopsis

This book introduces new research about the history of attention-in politics, medicine, science, philosophy, ethics, aesthetics, and the rhetoric of war-to reframe British Romantic poetry as proposing and eliciting alternative modes of watchfulness, attention, and neglect.

Review Quotes

"A compelling exploration of the interplay between a poetics of heightened attention and the political debates and technological innovations associated with vigilance and alarm, this book will be important to all Romanticists interested in the dynamic relationship between aesthetic form, affect, and cultural milieu."--Nancy Yousef, City University of New York

"Smart, well-researched, and provocatively argued, this book powerfully demonstrates how the seemingly least political demands of poets (to pay attention) turn out to be deeply enmeshed in political discourse of the time."--Brian McGrath, Clemson University

About the Author

Lily Gurton-Wachter is Assistant Professor of English at the University of Missouri.