J. Andrew Hubbell. Byron s Nature. A Romantic Vision of Cultural Ecology

Transcription

1 Byron s Nature Given the important role that Lord Byron s short but massively influential poem Darkness played in the development of eco-criticism, the lack of a systematic examination of Lord Byron s views of nature and his function with the development of green romanticism has been both frustrating and perplexing. However, with the appearance of Drew Hubbell s convincingly argued, strongly written and thoroughly researched Byron s Nature, this deficiency has now been addressed in exemplary fashion. Opening with a much needed re-assessment of critical rejection of any importance attributed to Byron s views of nature, the work shifts to the crucial role Byron s work played in the emergence of romantic environmental writing and closes with the compelling analysis of an eco-cosmopolitanism that undergirds Byron complex views of the interconnectedness of nature and culture as self-organizing systems at global levels of scale. Hubbell s corrective work is a must read for those interested in the critical and historical emergence of ecocriticism in the field, which led to the development of green romanticism... and to so much more. Mark Lussier, Senior Sustainability Scholar at the Global Institute of Sustainability Arizona State University, USA

2 J. Andrew Hubbell Byron s Nature A Romantic Vision of Cultural Ecology

3 J. Andrew Hubbell Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, PA, USA ISBN ISBN (ebook) DOI / Library of Congress Control Number: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2018 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Cover credit: Linda Kennedy/Alamy Stock Photo/iStock/Getty Images Plus Cover design: Henry Petrides Printed on acid-free paper This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Springer International Publishing AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland

4 For my mates everywhere And my parents Who are always there

5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A book is never written by one person. For this project, which has spanned eight years, three continents, two institutions, and four households, I have a lot of people to thank, many for material contributions and some for forbearance. I have been lucky to work with fantastic editors for the four essays that seeded this project: Regina Hewitt of ERR, Dewey Hall of Romantic Ecocriticism: Origins and New Directions, Jonathan Branney of The Byron Journal, and Marilyn Gaull of The Wordsworth Circle. Their timely, insightful, critical contributions to my work and the contributions of outside reviewers made the difference between sloppy speculation and rigorous scholarship. The professional team at Palgrave Macmillan astonished me with their speed, accuracy, and creativity. I especially want to thank my editor, Ben Doyle, for believing in this project, and Milly Davis, my editorial assistant, for unfailing cheerfulness and attention to detail. My outside reviewer also deserves special thanks for generously offering several key ideas that led to revolutionary improvements in the first three chapters. Chris Kenyon-Jones provided extensive comments on drafts of the first four chapters, and, over the course of several conferences, the confidence of her far greater scholarship. Thanks to conference organizers at NASSR, NCSA, RSAA, The Wordsworth Conference, The Byron Society, and the International Student Byron Conference for inviting me to try out my ideas in presentations, and thanks to attendees for critical feedback. John Ulrich s 2006 EAPSU conference on Literature and the Environment provided the initial vii

6 viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS excuse for research on this topic. Special thanks to Lucy Morrison, Marlene Trump, and board members of NCSA who annually inspired me by redefining the meaning of colleague. Bob Ryan, my dear friend and roommate at so many conferences, provided more late-night, whiskey-fueled analysis than was quite healthy. There s more wisdom in your song than the woodland linnet s. My colleagues at Susquehanna University have waited a very long time for this project to mature. I want to thank them for providing me with time, understanding, and support, Susan Bowers in particular. Students in my Green Romanticism classes gave me the opportunity to experiment with ideas that eventually found their way into the book. Particular thanks to the students who accompanied me to the International Student Byron Conference: Elaine, Charlene, Justine, Emily, Sarah, Rhiannon, Rachel, Nickey, and Ashley, all of whom offered feedback on initial drafts for this book. My dean, Valerie Martin, deserves special recognition for her unfailing support and extraordinary tact, grace, and ability to make everything work out. In truth, without her support, I could not have written this book. Peter Graham read complete drafts of the entire manuscript and has heard multiple instantiations of this project since its conception, but he has been a fellow traveler, mentor, and mate since adopting me at the 2000 Wordsworth Conference in Grasmere. Peter is one whom I have known long, and accompanied far, whom I have found wakeful over my sickness and kind in my sorrow, glad in my prosperity and firm in my adversity, true in counsel and trusty in peril a friend often tried and never found wanting. True to his name, he has been a rock. Finally, my thanks to Petra Tschakert, who has given me more than can be accounted in writing. She has supported, inspired, challenged, guided, adventured, encouraged, created, and played her extraordinary cross-disciplinary knowledge in human geography and ecology is the source of some of the most important theoretical frameworks in this book, which might not have been completed without her. The errors have all been mine.

7 CONTENTS 1 Introduction: Byron s Nature 1 2 Byron and Ecocriticism 15 3 In Quest of Cultural Ecology, A Romaunt 65 4 Childe Harold s Cultural Ecosystem Metaphysical Plays of Domination and Freedom Don Juan s Autre Mondialisation Conclusion: The Eco-Cosmopolitanism of Byron s Nature 253 Bibliography 267 Index 285 ix