UPDATE: [International] Metre Matters: New Approaches to Prosody, 1780-1914 (UK) (01/10/08; 07/03-05/08)

full name / name of organization: 
Jason Hall
contact email: 

***CALL FOR PAPERS*** ***DEADLINE EXTENDED***

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 10 January 2008.

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 Oct 25 2007 - 04:18:09 EDT