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: Paperback / softback
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 prevailing notion that American modernism was solely influenced by British or European Romanticism. Instead, she reveals how Black poets, in their distinct literary traditions, introduced a new conception of poetry that centered on the diverse experiences and identities of people, including Black, White, male, female, and Indigenous individuals. This shift led to the emergence of lyric poetry as the dominant form in American literature.

Jackson explores the significant role played by Frederick Douglass as an influential editor and publisher of Black poetry during this period. She traces the complex paths that led to our current understanding of lyric poetry, shedding light on the twists and turns that shaped its development. Along the way, she presents not only a new history of American poetry but also a fresh theoretical framework that challenges traditional notions of poetic form and expression.

Through her meticulous research and insightful analysis, Before Modernism offers a transformative perspective on the origins and evolution of American poetics. It demonstrates the profound impact that Black poets have had on the shaping of American literature and culture, and highlights the importance of recognizing and valuing the diverse voices and traditions that have contributed to the rich tapestry of American poetry.

Weight: 516g
Dimension: 154 x 234 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691232805