Richard Cronin teaches at Glasgow University. His publications include The Politics of Romantic Poetry (2000) and Romantic Victorians: English Literature 1824-1840 (2002)

Editors' Preface. Chronology. Notes on Contributors. 1. Victorian Poetics: Carol T. Christ :. Varieties and Forms. Epic: Herbert Tucker. Domestic and Idyllic: Linda Peterson. The Lyric: Matthew Rowlinson. The Dramatic Monologue: E. Warwick Slinn. The Sonnet and Sonnet Sequence: Alison Chapman. Elegy: Seamus Perry. Hymn: J. R. Watson. Nonsense: Roderick McGillis. Verse Novel: Dino Felluga. Verse Drama: Adrienne Scullion. Working-Class Poetry: Florence Boos. The Classical Tradition: Richard Jenkyns. Arthurian Poetry and Medievalism: Anthony H. Harrison. Poetry in Translation: J.-A. George. Tractarian Poetry: Stephen Prickett. The Spasmodics: Richard Cronin. The Pre-Raphaelites: David Riede. Poetry of the 1890s: Chris Snodgrass. 2. Production, Distribution and Reception. The Market: Lee Erickson. Anthologies and the Making of the Poetic Canon: Natalie M. Houston. Reviewing Poetry: Joanne Shattock. Poetry and Illustration: Lorraine Janzen Kooistra. 3. Victorian Poetry and Victorian Culture. Nationhood and Empire: Margaret Linley. Poetry in the Four Nations: Matthew Campbell. Poetry and Religion: W. David Shaw. Poetry and Science: Alan Rauch. Landscape and Cityscape: Pauline Fletcher. Vision and Visuality: Catherine Maxwell. Marriage and Gender: Julia F. Saville. Sexuality and Love: John Maynard.

This Companion brings together specially commissioned essays by distinguished international scholars that reflect both the diversity of Victorian poetry and the variety of critical approaches that illuminate it. The volume opens with an introductory essay on Victorian poetics by Carol Christ that offers a commanding overview of the whole period. The remaining contributions are organized into three parts. The first surveys the variety of schools and styles in Victorian poetry; in the second, the focus shifts from the form and content of the poetry to the means of its production and distribution; the final part positions Victorian verse in its contexts and explores its interactions with dominant cultural discourses.