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1 results

  • Chapter 28 - William Plomer’s Poetics of Exile at Home

  • from Part IV - Wordsmiths, Designers, and Performers
  • Edited by Vicki P Stroeher, Marshall University, West Virginia, Justin Vickers, Illinois State University
  • Book:
    Benjamin Britten in Context
    Published online:
    31 March 2022
    Print publication:
    21 April 2022, pp 249-255

  • Summary

    This essay summarises the working relationship between composer Benjamin Britten (1913–76) and writer William Plomer (1903–73). After listing their completed collaborations – Gloriana (1953), Curlew River (1964), The Burning Fiery Furnace (1966), The Prodigal Son (1968) – and abandoned projects, the essay turns to broader points of comparison and particularly to Britten and Plomer’s shared sense of ‘exile’, which the author argues informs their independent and collaborative work. Plomer’s shift away from the novel as a genre parallels Britten’s away from full-length opera. Their choice of subject, particularly in their work together, shows a movement away from realism. They cultivate a sense of humour marked by irony, and they increasingly pursue an economy of artistic material. These shared traits may point to the artists’ sense of ‘estrangement’ and may also be indicators of ‘late style’.