Time is relative. The same is true for poetry, says Irmtraud Huber, a professor in the Department of Literature, Art and Media Studies at the University of Konstanz. In her open access book, she explores the relationship between poetry and time by looking at British poetry from the 19th century. Against the backdrop of scientific innovation, rapid industrialization and growing awareness of history, the scholar of English literature shows that not only did the concept and understanding of time change, but also the forms and definitions of poetry.

This historical perspective offers a corrective to the ideal of timeless poetry and highlights how literary forms and theoretical concepts change over time. Irmtraud Huber also identifies a conceptual framework for the analysis of time structures in poetic texts that accounts for the wide variety of genres and forms used in poetry.

Open access book: "Time and Timelessness in Victorian Poetry"

The open access book "Time and Timelessness in Victorian Poetry" (doi: 10.1515/9781399511834) is available for free download on KOPS, the University of Konstanz's online publication system.