The Oxford handbook of British poetry 1660 1800 In the most comprehensive and up to date overview of the poetry published in Britain between the Restoration and the end of the eighteenth century 44 authorities from six countries survey the poetry of the age in all its richness and diversity serious and satirical public and private by men and women nobles and peasants whether published in deluxe editions or sung on the streets. The contributors discuss poems in social contexts poetic identities poetic subjects poetic form poetic genres poetic devices and criticism. Even experts in eighteenth century poetry will see familiar poems from new angles and all readers will encounter poems theyve never read before. The book is not a chronologically organized literary history nor an encyclopedia nor a collection of thematically related essays; rather it is an attempt to provide a systematic overview of these poetic works and to restore it to a position of centrality in modern criticism Part 1: Poems in social settings Part 2: Poetic identities Part 3: Poetic subjects Part 4: Poetic form Part 5: Poetic genres Part 6: Poetic devices Part 7: Criticism