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Longman Literature in English Series
English Poetry Since 1940
Provides students of literature with a critical introduction to the major genres in their historical context. As well as studies on all periods of English and American literature, the series includes books on criticism and literary theory, the intellectual and cultural context, and other literatures in English. Each volume contains an extensive reference section. When complete the series will 'provide a practical and comprehensive guide to literature written in English from Anglo-Saxon times to the present day.
This volume provides a major survey and interpretation of English poetry since 1940. It includes a wealth of information on poets and their work and places them in the broader cultural context of their time, an ideal and balanced approach for the student. Covers the major figures from T S Eliot and W H Auden to the contemporary scene.
Key Features
English poetry of this period is one of the most important and popular subjects in English literature. Most courses cover it as one of the core topics. No other volume offers this range of material with such authority and depth.
326 pages, Paperback
First published July 5, 1993
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 10, 2026
Mission 2026: Binge reviewing (and rereading on occasion) all previous Reads, I was too slothful to review, back when I read them.
My journey into serious academic study truly began upon my promotion to the eleventh grade. From that formative stage onward, both throughout my years as a student and later in my professional life, I have engaged with an extensive range of texts, returning frequently to the discipline of sustained reading and reflection. Over the years, this engagement has amounted to the careful study of hundreds of volumes across diverse fields of thought and inquiry.
This section brings together a curated collection of reflections on those readings—part memoir, part critical appraisal. It encompasses works that have profoundly influenced my intellectual development, those that have offered enduring pleasure, and others that have invited disagreement or critique.
Taken together, these pieces represent an ongoing dialogue between the reader and the written word, shaped by the evolving perspectives of both a student and a professional.
This is one of the most lucid and intellectually balanced critical surveys of post-war English poetry. Written as part of the Longman Literature in English series, the book attempts something both ambitious and pedagogically useful: it provides a coherent historical narrative of poetry written in English after the Second World War while simultaneously offering close critical readings of individual poets and poems.
Corcoran’s study therefore functions at several levels—as literary history, as critical interpretation, and as an introduction for students attempting to understand the complex shifts in poetic practice after modernism.
Reading this book today carries a particular charm for anyone who encountered it at the moment of its publication. Buying it from the Seagull Book Store near Asutosh College still gives the experience an additional intellectual intimacy: the sense of discovering a newly published critical map of modern poetry.
Corcoran’s work rewards that early enthusiasm because it remains one of the most thoughtful attempts to explain how English poetry negotiated the aftermath of high modernism.
At the heart of the book lies a central historical problem. The generation writing after 1940 inherited the formidable legacy of modernism—especially the towering influence of poets like Eliot and Auden.
Corcoran frames his narrative around the reactions to that legacy. As he observes in the introduction, “the history of poetry since 1940 is in large part the history of reactions to the high Modernist moment of writing in English” .
This idea becomes the guiding principle of the entire book. Instead of presenting post-war poetry as a loose chronological catalogue,
Corcoran organizes it as a series of responses to modernism—some poets resisting it, some extending it, and others negotiating uneasy compromises with it.
The opening chapter, which contrasts Eliot and Auden, establishes the intellectual framework of the book. Corcoran portrays these two poets as representing different models for later writers.
Eliot, particularly in ‘Four Quartets’, moves toward spiritual introspection and symbolic complexity, while Auden represents a more discursive, socially engaged, and morally argumentative poetry.
Corcoran’s discussion of this opposition is particularly illuminating because he shows that later poets often internalized the tension between these two models. In other words, the history of post-war poetry is not merely about influence but about a persistent debate within poetic practice itself.
One of the most impressive aspects of Corcoran’s criticism is his ability to combine historical context with close reading. When discussing Eliot’s ‘Four Quartets’, for instance, he emphasizes how the poem responds to the cultural anxiety of wartime Britain while simultaneously representing the culmination—and exhaustion—of the modernist style. Corcoran describes the poem as both a continuation of modernism and a critique of its limitations.
The result is a complex analysis that avoids simplistic judgments. Eliot is neither simply celebrated nor dismissed; rather, his work becomes the site of a historical turning point.
The chapters that follow demonstrate Corcoran’s remarkable range as a critic. He moves confidently across several generations of poets, from the wartime writers of the 1940s to the experimental and postmodern voices emerging in the 1970s and 1980s.
Each section begins with a short historical overview, situating the poets within their social and cultural environment. Corcoran explicitly states that he wants to reconstruct the “horizon of expectation” surrounding the reception of poetry during each decade .
This methodological principle—derived from reception theory—helps him explain why certain poetic styles emerged when they did and how readers initially understood them.
The treatment of the 1940s is particularly compelling. Corcoran examines how poets responded to the trauma of the Second World War and the collapse of interwar political idealism.
Writers such as Keith Douglas and Alun Lewis are discussed not merely as war poets but as figures attempting to find a new poetic language adequate to the experience of modern warfare. Corcoran avoids the sentimental clichés often associated with war poetry and instead emphasizes the moral and stylistic innovations produced by these writers.
Equally insightful is his discussion of the so-called “Movement” poets of the 1950s. Corcoran presents figures like Philip Larkin, Donald Davie, and Thom Gunn as reacting against the perceived excesses of modernism. Their poetry often emphasized clarity, irony, and a restrained emotional tone.
Corcoran does not treat this movement as a simple return to tradition, however. Instead, he suggests that it represents another phase in the ongoing negotiation with modernist influence. Even poets who rejected modernism could not entirely escape its shadow.
The chapters devoted to Ted Hughes and Geoffrey Hill illustrate Corcoran’s ability to handle poets whose work is intellectually and stylistically demanding.
Hughes is interpreted as a poet of mythic violence and elemental energy, while Hill appears as a deeply historical and morally serious writer. Corcoran’s readings highlight the ethical intensity underlying both poets’ work. He shows how their poetry grapples with questions of history, language, and responsibility—issues that became increasingly important in post-war literary culture.
Perhaps the most fascinating section of the book is the one devoted to Northern Irish poetry. Corcoran discusses Seamus Heaney, Derek Mahon, and Michael Longley with exceptional sensitivity.
Writing during the decades of political conflict in Northern Ireland, these poets confronted the challenge of responding to violence without reducing poetry to political propaganda.
Corcoran carefully traces the ways in which their work navigates the relationship between personal memory, cultural identity, and historical trauma.
Another important feature of the book is its attention to diversity within English-language poetry. Corcoran acknowledges that the idea of “English poetry” is itself problematic. Many of the poets he discusses—such as Dylan Thomas, Edwin Muir, and the Northern Irish writers—occupy ambiguous positions within the literary geography of Britain and Ireland.
In the preface, Corcoran explicitly notes that the poetry of the period often involves questions of national identity and linguistic belonging . This recognition anticipates later debates about postcolonial literature and the plurality of English-language traditions.
Corcoran also addresses the emergence of women’s poetry in the later decades of the twentieth century. Although he admits that his coverage cannot fully represent the richness of feminist writing, he nonetheless highlights important poets such as Denise Riley and Carol Rumens. His discussion acknowledges the growing impact of feminist criticism and the ways in which it reshaped literary history.
One of the book’s most engaging qualities is its stylistic clarity. Corcoran writes with the authority of a scholar but the accessibility of a teacher. His prose is elegant without being obscure, and he consistently explains complex theoretical ideas in a manner that remains readable for students.
This pedagogical clarity is particularly evident in the way he organizes the book.
Each chapter introduces the historical context, analyzes representative poems, and concludes by connecting the discussion to broader literary trends.
The book’s structure—moving decade by decade—also reflects Corcoran’s belief that literary movements are often shaped by generational consciousness.
Poets frequently perceive themselves as belonging to a particular historical moment, and the idea of the “decade” becomes a convenient way of organizing literary history. Corcoran acknowledges that such divisions are partly artificial, but he argues that they nevertheless help illuminate the development of poetic styles.
Of course, like any literary history, the book has certain limitations. Some readers might wish for more extensive discussion of experimental or avant-garde poets. Others might feel that the coverage of women’s poetry and postcolonial voices remains relatively brief.
Corcoran himself anticipates these criticisms, acknowledging that his narrative inevitably reflects the perspective of a particular cultural and academic background . Yet this self-awareness actually strengthens the book, because it reminds readers that literary history is always a form of interpretation rather than a neutral record.
Despite these limitations, the book remains an indispensable guide to the development of English poetry after 1940.
Corcoran succeeds in demonstrating that post-war poetry is far richer and more varied than many earlier critics assumed. Instead of a simple decline after modernism, he reveals a vibrant field of competing styles and intellectual debates.
For readers who encountered the book when it first appeared—perhaps purchased from a familiar bookstore near a college campus—the experience of rereading it today can feel like revisiting an intellectual landmark. The book captures a moment in literary criticism when scholars were beginning to reassess the history of twentieth-century poetry with new theoretical tools and broader cultural awareness.
Ultimately, ‘English Poetry Since 1940’ stands as both a scholarly achievement and a deeply thoughtful act of literary interpretation.
Corcoran manages to balance historical narrative, critical insight, and pedagogical clarity with impressive skill.
His central argument—that post-war poetry can be understood as a series of responses to modernism—provides a framework that remains useful for students and scholars alike.
In the end, the book does more than simply catalogue poets and movements. It invites readers to see poetry as part of a larger cultural conversation, shaped by history, politics, and changing ideas about language and identity.
That is perhaps its greatest accomplishment: it transforms the study of modern poetry from a collection of isolated texts into a dynamic story of artistic evolution.
More than three decades after its publication, Corcoran’s work still rewards careful reading. For anyone interested in the trajectory of English poetry after the Second World War, it remains one of the most intelligent and stimulating guides available.
Most recommended.
My journey into serious academic study truly began upon my promotion to the eleventh grade. From that formative stage onward, both throughout my years as a student and later in my professional life, I have engaged with an extensive range of texts, returning frequently to the discipline of sustained reading and reflection. Over the years, this engagement has amounted to the careful study of hundreds of volumes across diverse fields of thought and inquiry.
This section brings together a curated collection of reflections on those readings—part memoir, part critical appraisal. It encompasses works that have profoundly influenced my intellectual development, those that have offered enduring pleasure, and others that have invited disagreement or critique.
Taken together, these pieces represent an ongoing dialogue between the reader and the written word, shaped by the evolving perspectives of both a student and a professional.
This is one of the most lucid and intellectually balanced critical surveys of post-war English poetry. Written as part of the Longman Literature in English series, the book attempts something both ambitious and pedagogically useful: it provides a coherent historical narrative of poetry written in English after the Second World War while simultaneously offering close critical readings of individual poets and poems.
Corcoran’s study therefore functions at several levels—as literary history, as critical interpretation, and as an introduction for students attempting to understand the complex shifts in poetic practice after modernism.
Reading this book today carries a particular charm for anyone who encountered it at the moment of its publication. Buying it from the Seagull Book Store near Asutosh College still gives the experience an additional intellectual intimacy: the sense of discovering a newly published critical map of modern poetry.
Corcoran’s work rewards that early enthusiasm because it remains one of the most thoughtful attempts to explain how English poetry negotiated the aftermath of high modernism.
At the heart of the book lies a central historical problem. The generation writing after 1940 inherited the formidable legacy of modernism—especially the towering influence of poets like Eliot and Auden.
Corcoran frames his narrative around the reactions to that legacy. As he observes in the introduction, “the history of poetry since 1940 is in large part the history of reactions to the high Modernist moment of writing in English” .
This idea becomes the guiding principle of the entire book. Instead of presenting post-war poetry as a loose chronological catalogue,
Corcoran organizes it as a series of responses to modernism—some poets resisting it, some extending it, and others negotiating uneasy compromises with it.
The opening chapter, which contrasts Eliot and Auden, establishes the intellectual framework of the book. Corcoran portrays these two poets as representing different models for later writers.
Eliot, particularly in ‘Four Quartets’, moves toward spiritual introspection and symbolic complexity, while Auden represents a more discursive, socially engaged, and morally argumentative poetry.
Corcoran’s discussion of this opposition is particularly illuminating because he shows that later poets often internalized the tension between these two models. In other words, the history of post-war poetry is not merely about influence but about a persistent debate within poetic practice itself.
One of the most impressive aspects of Corcoran’s criticism is his ability to combine historical context with close reading. When discussing Eliot’s ‘Four Quartets’, for instance, he emphasizes how the poem responds to the cultural anxiety of wartime Britain while simultaneously representing the culmination—and exhaustion—of the modernist style. Corcoran describes the poem as both a continuation of modernism and a critique of its limitations.
The result is a complex analysis that avoids simplistic judgments. Eliot is neither simply celebrated nor dismissed; rather, his work becomes the site of a historical turning point.
The chapters that follow demonstrate Corcoran’s remarkable range as a critic. He moves confidently across several generations of poets, from the wartime writers of the 1940s to the experimental and postmodern voices emerging in the 1970s and 1980s.
Each section begins with a short historical overview, situating the poets within their social and cultural environment. Corcoran explicitly states that he wants to reconstruct the “horizon of expectation” surrounding the reception of poetry during each decade .
This methodological principle—derived from reception theory—helps him explain why certain poetic styles emerged when they did and how readers initially understood them.
The treatment of the 1940s is particularly compelling. Corcoran examines how poets responded to the trauma of the Second World War and the collapse of interwar political idealism.
Writers such as Keith Douglas and Alun Lewis are discussed not merely as war poets but as figures attempting to find a new poetic language adequate to the experience of modern warfare. Corcoran avoids the sentimental clichés often associated with war poetry and instead emphasizes the moral and stylistic innovations produced by these writers.
Equally insightful is his discussion of the so-called “Movement” poets of the 1950s. Corcoran presents figures like Philip Larkin, Donald Davie, and Thom Gunn as reacting against the perceived excesses of modernism. Their poetry often emphasized clarity, irony, and a restrained emotional tone.
Corcoran does not treat this movement as a simple return to tradition, however. Instead, he suggests that it represents another phase in the ongoing negotiation with modernist influence. Even poets who rejected modernism could not entirely escape its shadow.
The chapters devoted to Ted Hughes and Geoffrey Hill illustrate Corcoran’s ability to handle poets whose work is intellectually and stylistically demanding.
Hughes is interpreted as a poet of mythic violence and elemental energy, while Hill appears as a deeply historical and morally serious writer. Corcoran’s readings highlight the ethical intensity underlying both poets’ work. He shows how their poetry grapples with questions of history, language, and responsibility—issues that became increasingly important in post-war literary culture.
Perhaps the most fascinating section of the book is the one devoted to Northern Irish poetry. Corcoran discusses Seamus Heaney, Derek Mahon, and Michael Longley with exceptional sensitivity.
Writing during the decades of political conflict in Northern Ireland, these poets confronted the challenge of responding to violence without reducing poetry to political propaganda.
Corcoran carefully traces the ways in which their work navigates the relationship between personal memory, cultural identity, and historical trauma.
Another important feature of the book is its attention to diversity within English-language poetry. Corcoran acknowledges that the idea of “English poetry” is itself problematic. Many of the poets he discusses—such as Dylan Thomas, Edwin Muir, and the Northern Irish writers—occupy ambiguous positions within the literary geography of Britain and Ireland.
In the preface, Corcoran explicitly notes that the poetry of the period often involves questions of national identity and linguistic belonging . This recognition anticipates later debates about postcolonial literature and the plurality of English-language traditions.
Corcoran also addresses the emergence of women’s poetry in the later decades of the twentieth century. Although he admits that his coverage cannot fully represent the richness of feminist writing, he nonetheless highlights important poets such as Denise Riley and Carol Rumens. His discussion acknowledges the growing impact of feminist criticism and the ways in which it reshaped literary history.
One of the book’s most engaging qualities is its stylistic clarity. Corcoran writes with the authority of a scholar but the accessibility of a teacher. His prose is elegant without being obscure, and he consistently explains complex theoretical ideas in a manner that remains readable for students.
This pedagogical clarity is particularly evident in the way he organizes the book.
Each chapter introduces the historical context, analyzes representative poems, and concludes by connecting the discussion to broader literary trends.
The book’s structure—moving decade by decade—also reflects Corcoran’s belief that literary movements are often shaped by generational consciousness.
Poets frequently perceive themselves as belonging to a particular historical moment, and the idea of the “decade” becomes a convenient way of organizing literary history. Corcoran acknowledges that such divisions are partly artificial, but he argues that they nevertheless help illuminate the development of poetic styles.
Of course, like any literary history, the book has certain limitations. Some readers might wish for more extensive discussion of experimental or avant-garde poets. Others might feel that the coverage of women’s poetry and postcolonial voices remains relatively brief.
Corcoran himself anticipates these criticisms, acknowledging that his narrative inevitably reflects the perspective of a particular cultural and academic background . Yet this self-awareness actually strengthens the book, because it reminds readers that literary history is always a form of interpretation rather than a neutral record.
Despite these limitations, the book remains an indispensable guide to the development of English poetry after 1940.
Corcoran succeeds in demonstrating that post-war poetry is far richer and more varied than many earlier critics assumed. Instead of a simple decline after modernism, he reveals a vibrant field of competing styles and intellectual debates.
For readers who encountered the book when it first appeared—perhaps purchased from a familiar bookstore near a college campus—the experience of rereading it today can feel like revisiting an intellectual landmark. The book captures a moment in literary criticism when scholars were beginning to reassess the history of twentieth-century poetry with new theoretical tools and broader cultural awareness.
Ultimately, ‘English Poetry Since 1940’ stands as both a scholarly achievement and a deeply thoughtful act of literary interpretation.
Corcoran manages to balance historical narrative, critical insight, and pedagogical clarity with impressive skill.
His central argument—that post-war poetry can be understood as a series of responses to modernism—provides a framework that remains useful for students and scholars alike.
In the end, the book does more than simply catalogue poets and movements. It invites readers to see poetry as part of a larger cultural conversation, shaped by history, politics, and changing ideas about language and identity.
That is perhaps its greatest accomplishment: it transforms the study of modern poetry from a collection of isolated texts into a dynamic story of artistic evolution.
More than three decades after its publication, Corcoran’s work still rewards careful reading. For anyone interested in the trajectory of English poetry after the Second World War, it remains one of the most intelligent and stimulating guides available.
Most recommended.
Displaying 1 of 1 review