The Georgian Poets: Heralds of Modern Age

Flourished during the reign of George V (1911-1936).
Though they had various characteristics, they were not conscious of belonging to a specific group.
Imitated past poets and often ignored contemporary problems, yet saw themselves as heralds of a new age.

Graves initially claimed to belong to this group but later broke away.
Described their recommendations as discarding archaic diction and poetic constructions.
Favored avoiding formally religious, philosophic, or improving themes, focusing instead on unemotional subjects like nature, love, leisure, old age, childhood, animals, and sleep.

Though the quantity of work produced was great, the quality was not of a high order.
Poets generally associated with this group had their work published in the five volumes of Georgian Poetry (1911-12, 1913-15, 1916-17, 1918-19, and 1920-22).

Writes in a simple, pure, lyrical style about the beautiful sights and sounds of the country, children, and old people.
His poetry often has a strange enchantment, produced by the apprehension of another world existing side by side with the everyday world.
Bridges the gulf between waking and dreaming, reality and fantasy.
Notable for his skill in managing metre and blending the grotesque with the profoundly pathetic.
Introduction to Behold, This Dreamer: "Every imaginative poem resembles in its onset and its effect the experience of dreaming."

Immense interest in nature, describing authentic experiences of natural objects and scenes.
Lyrics remind of Herrick and Blake's melodies.
Unsophisticated and composed poems without much conscious effort, leading to a lack of polish and finish.
Left numerous lyrics with enduring appeal due to their lively music.

Translated Dante into English and had a keen sense of the just word and its sound.
Wrote about classical themes, with notable works like Attila, a dramatic poem with vehement blank verse and rapid action.
The First World War stirred profound feelings, leading to moving poems like "They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old."
The Second World War saddened him, resulting in poems contrasting old pleasures and dreams with the war-oppressed present, published posthumously in 1944 as The Burning of the Leaves and Other Poems.
Despite dealing with themes of decay and transience, his poetry expresses hope that nothing past is ultimately gone.

Has been Poet Laureate since 1930 and composed poems for over forty years.
Early poetry, influenced by his time as a sailor, deals with life at sea and various adventures, found in Salt Water Ballads (1902) and Ballads (1906).
Produced his best poetic tragedy, The Tragedy of Nan, in 1909.
Later poetry focused on modern life in a realistic manner, with works like The Everlasting Mercy (1911), The Widow in the Bye-Street, Dauber (1913), and The Daffodil Fields (1913).
These poems narrate stirring stories with excellent morals, earning him recognition as a 'prophet' of modern England.

Class with Mason - School of Literary Studies