Prof. Seth Herbst

Seth Herbst studies and teaches the relation between words and music in the early modern period, with particular interest in the poetry of John Milton and the drama and poetry of Shakespeare. He also explores later musical adaptations of Milton's and Shakespeare's works, primarily in the 19th and 20th centuries. Herbst's work has appeared in Essays in Criticism and in edited collections on Milton from Duquesne UP / Penn St. UP and Oxford UP. His first monograph, "Milton and Music," was published by Routledge in 2023. He is at work on a second book, "Shakespeare Without Words: Romeo and Juliet from Play to Ballet." 

At West Point, Herbst created a new interdisciplinary course on literature and music and is a past director of the core composition course.