Poetry and Fin de Siècle Socialism

• DOI: 10.1111/lic3.12332
• Publication Date: 2016-11-04T10:18:24Z
• Authors: Kirsten Harris
• Keywords: JC; Socialism; Poetry; 940; Print culture; Nineteenth-Century; 16. Peace & justice; Political poetry; PR; Radicalism

Abstract Poetry was a major cultural genre of the so‐called ‘socialist revival’ in late 19th‐century Britain. Poems were sung at meetings and Labour Church services, published socialist newspapers periodicals, gathered together collections anthologies. Socialist activists took to verse make social, political ideological interventions, looked back through literature 19th century construct democratic canon which seemed have ‘Socialist passion for man,’ as one commentator described it, its heart. In mixed movement, engaged heated internal debate over aims strategies, discussions about nature purpose poetry fed into wider fin de siècle socialism itself. There has been burgeoning scholarly interest this field early 21st century, article explores small but growing body work, suggesting directions future research.