CFP: Sex and the Erotic in English Poetry (12/31/03 & 1/31/04; collection)

full name / name of organization: 
Cedric Barfoot

CALL FOR PAPERS FOR BOOK:
"AND NEVER KNOW THE JOY": SEX AND THE EROTIC IN ENGLISH POETRY

The threat in the working title (it may yet be changed) of this book (and
the conference from which it is derived) is taken from a poem that, as one
might expect from its author, John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester, contrives to
handle the carpe diem theme with scurrilous directness and with far less
genteel urbanity than his contemporaries Marvell, Herrick and Waller,
although in this case the spattering of four letter words is avoided. The
various expressions of the "gather ye rosebuds" theme is just one area that
will be explored in this book on sex and the erotic in English poetry,
although it would be fascinating to consider this particular motive in its
various guises in all periods from Chaucer to the present day. Contributors
to the book will extend their study of the poetic expression of sexual
passion into many other areas of poetry in English, and the voice to be
heard in the poems discussed is not exclusively that of the conventional
predatory male. However, there were two particular gaps in the papers
delivered at the Conference from which this book is derived: there was very
little about the eighteenth century and the Romantic period in terms of the
Conference theme. Therefore I would like to invite anybody who might be able
to fill this gap to offer me articles for inclusion in the book. If anyone
would like to submit an article not specifically intended to fill this gap
but connected with the theme of the Conference (and the book), also please
get in touch with me.
    Articles should have a maximum length of 8,000 words (say, 20 pages)
Prospective contributors are invited to submit proposals for articles (a
topic and title at least, and, if possible, a 100-150 word summary) by the
end of December 2003, and the articles themselves by the end of January 2004
(although later submissions may still be considered) to the editor of the
book, Dr C.C. Barfoot: c.c.barfoot_at_umail.leidenuniv.nl.

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Received on Fri Nov 07 2003 - 16:15:58 EST