Anachronism in Geoffrey Hill’s “Mercian Hymns

As Jeffrey Wainwright (2005) notes, “it is apparent that [Geoffrey] Hill’s poetry has always known history very well indeed” (n.p.). Throughout his works, including the Mercian Hymns, historical events and figures play a central role. When references to past make their way into literature, resulting allusions often broaden work’s depth, increasing not just richness of symbolic interpretation but also rooting work multidisciplinary conversation, bringing from different points along human timeline conversation. anachronism occurs, intentionality plays role in determining significance instance but, potentially, as whole. This paper explores how Hill puts intentional use with an enduring impact on meanings emerge for reader, depending reader’s cultural perspective.