Erasmus Lecture Focuses on Civil War Era Poetry

A specialist in 19th century British cultural and literary studies will deliver a lecture at Westmont next month. Associate Professor of English at U.C. Davis Catherine Robson will speak in Hieronymus Lounge, Monday, Oct. 24, at 7 p.m as part of Westmont’s Erasmus Lecture Series. Her lecture is entitled “Memorization and Memorialization: Poetry and the Burial of Heroes.”

Robson will explore the memorization and recitation practices of 19th century school children in England and American. She will also discuss how those practices figured in later adult mourning rituals, particularly around the death of U.S. Civil War soldiers. Her analysis brings to light new insights into both the form and cultural function of poetry.

Robson is well known for her book, “Men in Wonderland: The Lost Girlhood of the Victorian Gentleman” and has another publication forthcoming, “Heart Beats: Everyday Life and the Memorized Poem.”

The purpose of Erasmus Lecture Series is to allow student an opportunity to explore a variety of disciplines through leading scholars. It’s coordinated by Westmont Assistant English Professor Cheri Hoeckley. The series will continue with a professor of American Intellectual and Religious History at San Francisco Theological Seminary. Ronald White will deliver a lecture entitled “Abraham Lincoln’s Sermon on the Mount: The Second Inaugural Address,” Nov. 2, at 3:30 p.m. in Hieronymus Lounge.

The lectures are free and open to the public. For directions to campus, visit the college Web site at www.westmont.edu or call the public affairs office at (805) 565-
7057.