Introduction

Perceptions surrounding literary genres and forms can influence writing practice. If poetry is perceived as exalted, one might read and write it for the challenge or the cachet, or avoid it out of intimidation. If novels are perceived as unpretentious, one might read and write them to join the mainstream, or prefer other genres precisely to avoid the mainstream. The career of Virginia Woolf offers an excellent case study of how cultural associations with literary genres and forms influence reading and writing practice. The Introduction to Virginia Woolf and Poetry traces the long rivalry between prose and verse, and more particularly the novel and poetry. It then describes the genre rivalry among British and American modernist writers, and surveys Woolf’s knowledge of the poetry of her time. It concludes by acknowledging the relevant scholarship.