Edmund Waller Criticism
Edmund Waller (1606-1687) was a prominent English poet whose works exemplified the transition from the Cavalier to the neoclassical style. His poetry is noted for its wit, smoothness, and rhetorical sophistication, blending the fluency of Cavalier poetry with the abstract imagery of the Metaphysical poets, as well as the dignified tone of later neoclassical writers. Waller's influence on his successors was profound; John Dryden, for example, credited him with shaping the future of English poetic style. Despite his literary achievements, Waller's political opportunism during the English Civil War era, including his involvement in "Waller's Plot" and subsequent betrayals, tarnished his reputation.
Waller's major works include political panegyrics, love poems, and poetry on art and artists. Notable pieces such as "A Panegyrick to My Lord Protector" and "Upon the Late Storme and of the death of His Highnesse" reflect his skill in panegyric poetry and explore themes of stability and governance. He also wrote poems like "To the King, upon His Majesties happy return" which celebrated the restoration of Charles II, and his later works included religious poetry collected in Divine Poems (1685). Waller's use of the heroic couplet and his ability to refine poetic diction significantly influenced the development of English poetry.
Though initially celebrated, Waller's reputation has waned over time due to changing tastes and criticisms of his political actions. As noted by H. M. Richmond, his personal conduct has impacted modern perceptions of his work. Nonetheless, some critics, like Jack G. Gilbert and Warren L. Chernaik, continue to recognize his contributions to poetic technique and satire. Waller's enduring influence is apparent in the way he helped shape the transition toward neoclassical poetry, as explored by Paul J. Korshin.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Essays
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A Word for Waller
(summary)
In the following essay, Bateson explores reasons for the decline in Waller's reputation as a poet.
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The Fate of Edmund Waller
(summary)
In the following essay, Richmond looks at Waller's reputation, arguing that he merits more critical attention.
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The Refinement of Our Language
(summary)
In the following essay, discusses the influences of Waller's poetic diction.
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The Evolution of Neoclassical Poetics: Cleveland, Denham, and Waller as Poetic Theorists
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Korshin outlines Waller's contributions to the development of poetic verse and neoclassical poetic theory.
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The Rise of Heroic Satire
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Chernaik argues that Waller was instrumental in the development of poetic satire.
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The Social Mode
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Miner analyzes Waller's works to demonstrate the use of conventional motifs in Cavalier poetry.
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Waller's View of Art and His Place in English Literature
(summary)
In the following essay, Gilbert discusses the influence of the myth of Orpheus on Waller's aesthetic and analyzes the reception of his work by his contemporaries and by present-day commentators.
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Waller and the Painter
(summary)
In the following essay, Chambers examines Waller's role in the evolution of painter poems.
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Edmund Waller: English Precieux
(summary)
In the following essay, Kaminski argues that Waller was the first English precieux poet.
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A Word for Waller
(summary)
- Further Reading