Hello Romanticists,
On Thursday we will be discussing poems written by laborers, and its publication and reception among the middle class. There are two components to the readings. First, have a look at the book Attempts in Verse, available here: Southey. This is a collection of poems by a servant named John Jones, with an introductory essay by the poet laureate Robert Southey. I'd like you to read sections of Southey's essay on uneducated poets (pp. 1-15, 163-167); you may also want to read his section on Ann Yearsley (pp. 125-134). In addition, please look at the format of the book, its appearance, the extra-textual information it offers, etc.
Second, we'll be reading three poems by laborers, document available here: Thom, Yearsley, anonymous. NB: departing the syllabus slightly, I've substituted Ann Yearsley for Ebenezer Elliott. You will note that two of the three poems are written in dialect, Thom's poem is in Scots (some even contend that Scots constitutes its own language) and the anonymous poem is in the Lancashire dialect. This will present challenges. Intentionally. Do the best you can to de-cypher the words you do not know.
Finally, keep in mind the famous proposition in the "Preface" to Lyrical Ballads, that the poems therein would speak "the real language of men" (506) and that "[l]ow and rustic life was generally chosen [as subject matter] because in that condition the essential passions of the heart find a better soil in which they can attain their maturity, are less under restraint, and speak a plainer and more emphatic language..." (507). How is this different from Southey's sense of the value of the language and poetry of laborers? How does it compare to the language used and life depicted in the actual works of such "low" poets?
Happy reading,
Prof. M.
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