First published in 1947,
Poetry and the People
presents a survey of English poetry from the earliest times till 1940s, viewed from an unusual angle. It is the author’s thesis that English Poetry is unpopular, in the sense that it is not loved by the people, because the sources of its inspiration, which were originally drawn from the soil, were diverted during the Renaissance into aristocratic and academic channels. Nevertheless, the emerging traditions, though driven underground, survived in the work of such men as Burns, Hogg and Clare and in folk song. This book is a must read for scholars and researchers of English poetry and English literature.