Page 7 - Poetry-Books

Introduction

have a special fondness for this collection, being both a writer
and a book-lover. There’s something remarkable about
I
finding a connection across time with writers who lived more
than a century ago, yet who felt just the way you feel about some
of your favorite things, and who found much the same things to
laugh about.
Let’s start with book-lovers. Of course, books existed before
the Victorian era, but they tended to be expensive; a home library
was a luxury only for the rich and titled. In the Victorian era,
advances in paper production and printing processes made books
accessible to everyday folks—folks like you and me—so anyone
could become a book-lover. And if you’re like me, you’ll identify
with the cry, “Books we must have though we lack bread!”
Those same advances also turned the Victorian era into a
brave new world for writers—and for people who wanted to be
writers. Again, for perhaps the first time, ordinary folks could
become published authors. Or... not.
As these poets remind us, the path to publication has never
been smooth or easy. Instead, it is fraught with frustration—and
the wise poet finds a way to turn that frustration into paying
verse! Today’s writer will find a host of kindred spirits in the
poets who lament the slowness of editors (or, conversely, their
unappreciated quickness with rejection slips). You’ll recognize
the annoyance of that vague line, “doesn’t meet or needs,” or the
demand for rhymes out of season, or poetry to suit the latest
trend. In short, the Victorian writing life looks a lot like our own!
The poetry in this collection comes primarily from American
publications like Century Magazine. I was also delighted to come
across the Brander Matthews’ charming Ballads of Books,
published in 1887, of which you’ll find several samples here. The
entire book can be downloaded for free from Archive.org. As
always, poems are given in chronological order where possible—
but clippings from Victorian scrap albums rarely have a date!
Whether you love books or love writing them, you’re sure to
find plenty of familiar frustrations to chuckle over in this unique
collection!

—Moira Allen

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