The Poetry of Chartism: Aesthetics, Politics, HistoryBetween 1838 and 1852, the leading Chartist newspaper, the Northern Star, published over 1000 poems written by more than 350 poets - as the readership of the Northern Star numbered hundreds of thousands, these poems were amongst the most widely read of the Victorian era. This book offers a complete record of all the poems published. It asks a simple question: why did the writing and reading of poetry play such an important role in Chartism's struggle to secure fundamental democratic rights? It answers this question by analysing the interplay between politics, aesthetics and history in the aftermath of the Newport insurrection (1839), during the mass strikes of 1842 and the year of European revolutions (1848). Additionally, the book theorizes poetry's political agency and examines the critical history of Chartist poetry. |
Contents
column 18381852 | 69 |
the ideological afterlife of | 87 |
memory and nostalgia in the year | 129 |
Chartist poetry in 1848 | 166 |
Gerald Massey Walter | 203 |
Three Chdrtist poems | 225 |
| 286 | |
| 295 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Address aesthetic agency Anon appears April argues Armstrong Ashraf August Beauties of Byron Benjamin Stott British Caudwell chapter Charles Mackay Chartist imaginary Chartist movement Chartist poetry Chartist Song cultural December definition economic editorial Eliza Cook emotional emphasises Ernest Jones example Extracts Feargus O’Connor Feast February field figure final stanza find first Freedom future Gerald Massey historical hope Howitt’s Ibid identifies ideological Ihid influence Ireland Irish January John Frost July June Kovalev labour Liberty Lines literary Literature lyric Man’s March Massey’s Merry England messianic Newport non-Chartist Northern Star Northern Star’s poetry November O’Connell o’er October offers oppression past patriot People’s poem’s poetry column poetry’s poets political present published Purgatory of Suicides radical readers reflection reprinted revolution revolutionary Rhymes sense September significance slaves social Sonnet specific Star’s poetry column struggle Thomas Cooper tyrant University Press verse Victorian Poetry violence Walter Benjamin Watkins whilst William working-class