The Origins of English Nonsense

Presenting an anthology of nonsense poetry from poets such as Sir John Hoskyns and John Taylor. The introduction discusses the origins and development of the genre in England and the history of medieval and Renaissance nonsense poetry in Europe. First published in 1997.

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Nonsense verse in England is generally thought to have its origins in Edward Lear and Lewis Carroll. Noel Malcolm's work discusses the extent of the genre a full two hundred and fifty years earlier, with the work of such now nearly forgotten nonsense poets as Sir John Hoskyns and John Taylor. It presents an anthology of their work, much of it published here for the first time since the 17th century, and in a long introduction discusses the origins and development of the genre in England, and the history of medieval and Renaissance nonsense poetry in Europe.