Abstract

The poetry of Vernon Watkins has received relatively little attention in recent decades, considering the size of his oeuvre and the fact that he was once under consideration as Poet Laureate. Equivocation remains as to his poetic style and affiliation. Focussing upon the important roles of tradition, temporality and history, literary influences and geographical place for Watkins, this article will argue that his poetry is firmly romantic rather than modernist in its sensibilities. Through his engagement with his natural environment and cultural influences, it is concluded that while an expert technician, Watkins’ s poetry is driven by a “conservative aestheticism” informed by deeply rooted Christian Platonism.

Keywords: Modernism, Romanticism, Watkins, Tradition, Place, Language

How to Cite:

Woods, T., (2025) “ Rooted Romanticist or Itinerant Modernist? The Poetry of Vernon Watkins ”, International Journal of Welsh Writing in English 12(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.16922/ijwwe.12.5