Romantic Poetry and 'the Existing State of Things'
A talk by Michael Rossington
Tuesday 15 November, 6.00-7.00pm in the Chancellor's Hall, Senate House, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HU. The lecture will be followed by a drinks reception at Senate House
Percy Bysshe Shelley's Poetical Essay on the Existing State of Things (1811) had been feared lost forever until discovered in a private collection in 2006. In November 2015, the only surviving copy became the Bodleian Libraries' 12 millionth book and it was published for the first time in over 200 years.
Michael Rossington, Professor of Romantic Literature at Newcastle University, was one of the first academics to be able to closely study and write about the newly discovered work. This talk will reflect on the engagement of the poetry of the Romantic period, including that of Wordsworth and Southey, with social and political crises of various kinds prompted by the 'Existing State of Things'.
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If you would like to attend, RSVP to: Hannah Stratton, Development Office, Wordsworth Trust, Dove Cottage, Grasmere, Cumbria LA22 9SH
Or telephone 015394 63520 or email h.stratton@wordsworth.org.uk
Please RSVP by Monday 7 November. Early booking is advised as places are limited
