Review of A diachronic guide to the understanding of English romantic poets.

[Jane Ogwang]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A diachronic guide to the understanding of English romantic poets." by Irarera Kijanja Robert.]

---

5 out of 5 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Literature enthusiasts have, over the years, been fascinated by the idea of the Romantic era, with few famous and well-known poets getting mentioned. But was that really all there was to that era? Better still, what marked the beginning and the end of that era? Is it even mildly possible that the era continues and has a place in our future? Dr. Irarera Kijanja Robert, in his book A Diachronic Guide to the Understanding of English Romantic Poets, sets out to answer these questions.

Backed by extensive research and analysis, this book presents a compelling argument that Romanticism started way earlier than we have made to believe. Instead, it argues that the roots of the well-known era began in 1730, with little-known first-generation poets such as; James Thomson, William Collins, Thomas Gray, William Cowper, and Robert Burns. The findings in the book reveal that these forerunner poets paved the way for the first and second-generation Romantic poets, with many of the same features and themes prevalent in their works. The author includes poems from these precursors, then from first and second-generation poets, and points out their similarities. He also points out the features and styles that influence even modern-day poetry. The book also discusses the details of what makes romantic poems, including their specific themes. I must also mention that the author uses several tools and techniques to make this analysis throughout the book.

I had a great time reading this book. I loved that the author dedicated their time to thorough research on the topic and appeared very knowledgeable. He provided me with a deeper understanding of Romanticism in English Literature. The book used and mentioned several primary sources of data. This, together with the examples and poems in the book, added a lot of authenticity to the work. I could see the factors that led to the book's findings through those examples and explanations. The author's writing style was also concise and clear, making it quite accessible. When he had to use technical poetic terms, he provided vivid explanations to them.

The book's structure and organization were also excellent. This was expected, however, since research papers have a rigid structure. This made it easy to reference and made the reading experience better. Most importantly, the book's use of various features to analyze the poems gave us unique and different viewpoints. It opens the topic for further debate and research. The author also chose the perfect length for the book. I would have loved it to be longer, but it could easily be tiresome with the topic. I noticed no flaws in this magnificent writing.

I, therefore, give the book a perfect rating of five out of five stars. It is insightful, well-researched, well-written, and exceptionally well-edited. I believe it makes a valuable contribution to the study of Romanticism in English literature. I recommend this book to scholars, students, and anyone interested in English literature and poetry.

******
A diachronic guide to the understanding of English romantic poets.
View: on Bookshelves