Whiteness, Feminism and the Absurd in Contemporary British and US Poetry

This timely critical work examines how contemporary Absurdist poetry from Britain and America grapples with whiteness, feminism, and systemic inequality during our current political turmoil. Clake analyzes poets like Rachael Allen and Caroline Bird to reveal how their surreal aesthetics confront issues of representation, gender politics, and capitalism's psychological toll. The book demonstrates how this emerging poetic movement navigates the complicated terrain of race within avant-garde traditions that have historically excluded marginalized voices. Through close readings of these poets' work, Clake uncovers the tensions between absurdist techniques and urgent social commentary.

What distinguishes this study is its sharp focus on how absurdism becomes a strategic response to political despair rather than mere stylistic experimentation. Readers interested in contemporary poetics, feminist theory, and critical race studies will find Clake's analysis particularly illuminating as she traces how these poets use humor and surrealism to challenge dominant power structures. The book ultimately reveals how absurdist poetry serves as both cultural critique and survival mechanism in an increasingly fragmented world, making it essential reading for understanding twenty-first-century literary responses to social crisis.