Introduction

Abstract

This book about the language of twentieth-century poetry in English may seem rather short to some readers, given its wide-ranging title. It should be emphasised immediately that it is in no sense a comprehensive survey of twentieth-century poetry. Such a work would fill several large volumes and would certainly not be accessible as an introduction to the subject. It would also be difficult to see any pattern emerging from the mass of detail in such a work. The reader is, however, given a very brief overview of the main developments in poetry since 1900 in the opening chapter of the book. Since linguistic trends were not always obviously connected to other, politically and socially motivated movements, the remaining chapters refer to chronological developments only rarely.