Reverberating Song in Shakespeare and Milton

'Erin Minear's Reverberating Song in Shakespeare and Milton is a major book on a major subject: the central place of music in the work of the greatest poets of the English Renaissance. A subtle, careful, and original scholar, Minear manages to capture the richness and complexity of music in their works-as motif, theme, mood, and inexhaustible aesthetic resource. Her exceptional sensitivity and alertness enable us to hear notes that had been silenced by long familiarity.' Stephen Greenblatt, Cogan University Professor, Harvard University, USA 'This is an elegantly written and thought-provoking book, richly researched yet completely original... an impressive sweep of freshly read details establishes dense networks between [...] individual musical-acoustic metaphors, allusions and descriptions, and sonic effects of language.' Renaissance Quarterly 'Reverberating Song is incredibly well researched, and the variety and scope of critical materials cited is impressive. The footnotes are a fascinating accompaniment to Minear’s analysis... Reverberating Song has much to offer scholars interested in the work of Shakespeare and Milton, and in the broader study of the culture of music that informs Renaissance literature and history.' Parergon 'Erin Minear’s intense and at the same time discursive review of musical effect in Shakespeare and Milton challenges the reader to re-engage with the position and role of music in early modern English poetry and drama. Minear’s lively and sensitive critical stance places her at the centre of this debate.' Review of English Studies '... I must say that the blend of musicology, literary studies and the history of Renaissance culture has produced a fascinating amount of scholarship that is both insightful and detailed.' Sixteenth Century Journal ’...make[s] for stimulating reading extending and deepening our understanding of music’s place in early modern English culture.’ Shakespeare Jahrbuch