- DURATION 60 mins
Event Description
A look at the role of women both loved and lost in the poetry of John Donne, Andrew Marvell, Lord Byron and William Shakespeare.
1. Great Seduction Poetry - John Donne & Andrew Marvell (17th November)
John Donne wrote some of the most moving and sensitive love poetry in the English language, but also became Dean of St Paul's Cathedral, where he was so popular crowds queued to hear his sermons. Along with Donne, Andrew Marvell is often considered one of the "metaphysical" poets, but also like Donne he was politically astute and he had a complex relationship with both women and mortality. This talk by an Oxford English scholar looks at how both authors used poetry as seduction.
2. Shakespeare's Lost Women (24th November)
A woman being lost and found (or brought back to life) is a major theme of Shakespeare's late plays, but there are other women in both the comedies and tragedies who go through something similar. This talk explores this important theme, including the several "illusory" deaths, and what it means for characters' discovery and self-discovery, both men and women. The speaker was an English Literature scholar at Oxford, where he was involved in a number of Shakespearean productions.
This talk is a repeat.
3. Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know - Lord Byron and his Women (1st December)
Lord Byron wasn't just a poet, he was a rock star. The most popular and outrageous celebrity of the Romantic era, he lived life to excess - but his relations with women were scandalous and often appalling. This talk by an Oxford English Scholar explores those relationships in the context of his poetry, his extraordinary rise to fame and legend, his passion for rebellion of all kinds, and what made Byron the rock star really tick.
- Duration: 60 mins
- Online Zoom event: Join from your computer, phone or tablet (no replay available)
Meet the Host, Jeremy
Jeremy is a highly experienced speaker, giving talks to U3A, WI, and Probus groups, as well as conferences such as the National Women's Register and various history and literary societies. He is semi-retired, following a career that included a national role in Higher Education, in which he spoke at numerous national and international events.
He went from a grammar school to Oxford, where he won a scholarship and took a Double First in English Literature. He was subsequently a trustee of the Carnegie UK Trust for many years.
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