Before Modernism: Inventing American Lyric

Before Modernism explores how Black poetics in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries created the conditions for the invention of modern American poetry. Virginia Jackson demonstrates how Black poets inspired the direction that American poetics has taken for the past two centuries, with an idea of poetry based on genres of poems giving way to an idea of poetry based on genres of people. Frederick Douglass was an influential editor and publisher of Black poetry, and Jackson traces the twisted paths leading to our current understanding of lyric, presenting a new history and theory of American poetry.

Format: Hardback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 14 February 2023
Publisher: Princeton University Press

Before Modernism delves into the intricate relationship between Black poetics and the emergence of modern American poetry in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Virginia Jackson, through a series of inspired readings of the works of Phillis Wheatley Peters, George Moses Horton, Ann Plato, James Monroe Whitfield, and Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, as well as the lesser-known poetry of William Cullen Bryant and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, highlights the profound influence that Black poets have had on the direction of American poetics over the past two centuries.

In this groundbreaking study, Jackson challenges the conventional narrative that posits a direct link between American modernism and British or European Romanticism. Instead, she emphasizes the significant role played by early Black poets in shaping the "deep design" of American lyric. By examining the poetry of these individuals, Jackson reveals how Black poetics, in contrast to White poetics, fostered the conditions for the invention of modern American poetry.

One of the key insights of Before Modernism is the shift from an idea of poetry based on genres of poems, such as ballads, elegies, odes, hymns, drinking songs, and epistles, to an idea of poetry based on genres of people. This transformation occurred as almost all poetry transitioned from being idea-driven to being lyric-driven. Jackson explores the profound implications of this shift, arguing that it paved the way for a more inclusive and diverse poetic landscape.

Furthermore, Jackson discusses the important role played by Frederick Douglass as an influential editor and publisher of Black poetry. Douglass played a crucial role in elevating the visibility and recognition of Black poets, and his efforts helped to shape the course of American poetry. Jackson traces the twisted paths leading to our current understanding of lyric, presenting not only a new history but also a new theory of American poetry.

In conclusion, Before Modernism is a groundbreaking work that offers a fresh perspective on the origins and development of American poetics. Through its meticulous analysis of the works of Black and White poets, Jackson demonstrates the profound influence that Black poets have had on the direction of American poetics over the past two centuries. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history, theory, and practice of poetry, as well as for those seeking to understand the complex and evolving relationship between race, literature, and culture.

Weight: 660g
Dimension: 162 x 240 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691232799