***CALL FOR PAPERS***

METRE MATTERS: NEW APPROACHES TO PROSODY, 1780-1914

University of Exeter: Thursday, 3 July - Saturday, 5 July 2008

An international conference hosted by the Centre for Victorian Studies

Keynote speakers:

ISOBEL ARMSTRONG, TIM KENDALL, YOPIE PRINS, SUSAN WOLFSON

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Whether classical or modern, quantitative or accentual, conventional or
experimental - metre mattered to nineteenth-century poets and readers; and
metrical matters were hotly debated throughout the century. Framed by and
often framing these debates, the science of versification - prosody -
evolved into a vigorous and highly specialized corpus of knowledge, and
treatises, textbooks, manuals, and histories proliferated. The period from
1780 to 1914 constituted the high-water mark of prosodic discourse. Since
the early decades of the twentieth century, though, the once vigorous
discourse of prosody has been struggling to find its feet. Often rejected
for its associations with American New Criticism or other "outmoded"
formalist approaches, prosody has suffered both critical hostility and
neglect. In recent years, however, scholars have renewed their interest in
prosody, and in doing so they have revitalized debates about metre,
versification and formalism more generally. This re-examination of prosody
has been characterized by a plurality of critical practice, central to
much of which has been an attempt to re-embed prosody within its multiple
social and cultural contexts and also to highlight new directions for
discussions of formalisms. This conference aims to showcase these new
approaches to prosody.

We welcome proposals for papers on any aspect of prosody during the period
1780-1914, ranging from the minutiae of scansion to metre's intersections
with other forms of cultural and social expression. Interdisciplinary
approaches are encouraged. Topics may include but are not limited to:

* abstraction, organicism, materialism
* "fancy prosody"
* classicisms, gothicisms, orientalisms
* innovation and reform
* sight and sound
* (kin)aesthetics
* science and technology
* Spasmodic prosody
* (neo)formalisms
* nation and empire
* pamphlets, manuals, handbooks, histories
* gender and sexuality
* metre and controversy
* popular pastimes
* translation, appropriation, imitation
* education and pedagogy
* Tractarian prosody
* radicalism, conservatism
* epic, dramatic, lyric
* vers, vers libre, vers libéré

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Abstracts of 300-500 words should be sent to Dr Jason Hall via email at
metre-matters_at_exeter.ac.uk by 31 October 2007.

Proposals for panels (comprising three speakers) are also welcome - please
submit the title and a brief description of the panel as well as abstracts
for the individual papers.

Speakers (whether part of a proposed panel or not) are asked to include a
one-page CV with full contact details, institutional affiliation (where
applicable) and a list of relevant publications.

Please bear in mind that final papers should take between 15 and 20
minutes (maximum) to deliver.

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Received on Thu Aug 02 2007 - 03:25:59 EDT