Books by Christopher (Professor Ricks

The majority of essays in this collection question how a poet's words reveal the force of his or her poetry. The poets covered include Milton, Wordsworth, Lowell and Larkin. The volume also features four wider essays on cliches, lies, misquotations and American English.

This critical study of Samuel Beckett's writing explores his deep convictions concerning life and death. It argues that throughout his writing, Beckett longed for oblivion and harboured the ancient belief that it is better to be dead than alive.