Art of Marvell's Poetry

First Published in 1966, The Art of Marvell's Poetry presents J.B. Leishman's appreciation of Andrew Marvell's poems by demonstrating a sensitive understanding of attitudes peculiar to the seventeenth century and to Marvell. Leishman calls Marvell an "e;inveterate imitator and experimenter"e;. His success depended on originality of combination rather than originality of invention. But while such phrases as "e;Musick, the Mosaique of the Air,'' "e;Desarts of vast Eternity,"e;- and "e;a green Thought in a green shade"e; were certainly inspired by others, they are distinctively and unquestionably Marvell's own. Marvell's poetry is shown to be the work of a man living at a certain moment in history; it is poetry which could not have been written at any other time, and its affinities to the work of contemporary poets are clearly demonstrated. The Art of Marvell's Poetry is a must read for scholars and researchers of English poetry, English literature, and European literature.