Drawing from a broad range of contemporary British poets, including Thomas Kinsella, Kathleen Jamie, and Alice Oswald, this study examines the inherently spatial and affective nature of our engagement with poetry. Adding to the expanding field of geocritical studies, Yeung specifically discusses ideas of space and constructions of voice in poetry.
"In Spatial Engagement with Poetry, Heather H. Yeung offers a significant contribution to research in the expanding field of literary eco-criticism. The book is divided into two main sections; the first, more theoretical inquiry sets the stage for the second section's very close readings of contemporary lyric poetry. One of Spatial Engagement's many strong points is its charting of eco-critical methodology in relation to poetic voice - a development which could also be applied to various writers outside of the scope of this book." - Peter Jaeger, Professor of Poetics, Roehampton University, UK "Yeung's perspective, from Orkney, Hong Kong, Southern England and places beyond and in between, makes for a fascinating account of the critical and creative possibilities of a spatial engagement with poetry. Her work on affective mapping supports reading practices that can take full account of the complexities of varieties of contemporary poetry and their inter-relationships with geographical and spatial practices. The introduction of the idea of 'vocalic space,' in a critical field that has privileged the visual, is a timely and important contribution that can bring together the lyrical and the performative in order to provide a full picture of the spatial practices of a speaking body." - Ian C. Davidson, Professor of Modern and Contemporary Literature, Northumbria University, UK.
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