The comprehensive reading quide to an ambitious and challenging female epic illuminated for 21st century students. Professor Michele Martinez comments on the core sections of the poem and sets this against a range of interpretative frameworks. She leads readers through the major themes, poetic vision, love and poetry, epistolary fiction, epic and society, motherhood and sexual transgression and poetry and prophecy, guiding them through the critical approaches and contexts.

Key features- Contains a ‘Teaching the Text’ section with fresh ideas and flexible teaching templates that can be adapted to existing course structures or form the basis of new ones.- Brings together extracts from texts, interpretation and teaching elements in one affordable package.- Contains extensive extracts from the poem, accompanied by a headnote, commentary and glosses, and an annotated bibliography.