Dr. Fergus Mcghee

Biography

Fergus McGhee is an Associate Professor of English Literature at the University of Oxford and Tutorial Fellow at Corpus Christi College. His academic focus lies primarily in nineteenth-century poetry, exploring the interplay between visual art, moral philosophy, and intellectual history. McGhee emphasizes the importance of close reading and the expressive qualities inherent in texts, arguing that literary criticism should arise from the text's own inventive capabilities. His forthcoming book, 'Darklier Understood: Knowing Persons Victorian Poetry', investigates the intricate quests for understanding oneself and others within Victorian poetry. This work illustrates the failed attempts of poets like Robert Browning and Alice Meynell to convey intimate knowledge of people. McGhee's scholarly output includes the award-winning article 'Clough, Emerson, Knowingness', and he has published extensively on topics such as the moral implications of indistinctness in art and the connections between Victorian criticism and visual culture. His research has gained recognition, including a special issue he edited on 're-encounters' in Victorian Poetry. McGhee is also active within the academic community, serving on the Executive Committee of the International Walter Pater Society and presenting at various conferences globally. His teaching includes undergraduate courses in lyric poetry and the analysis of period papers, and he supervises a diverse range of dissertations on nineteenth-century literature.

Research Interests

Experience