JOURNAL ARTICLE

Before Modernism: Inventing American Lyric by Virginia Jackson (review).

  • Published In: Early American Literature, 2025, v. 60, n. 2. P. 335 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Yoon, Ami 3 of 3

Abstract

The main focus of the text is Virginia Jackson's book, *Before Modernism: Inventing American Lyric*, which explores the evolution of American lyric poetry, beginning with Phillis Wheatley. Jackson argues that the concept of lyric became synonymous with poetry in the nineteenth century, leading to a generic abstraction that often obscured the racialized identities of Black poets. Through a method called "slow reading," Jackson examines how historical and formal aspects of poetry reveal the complexities of personhood and identity, particularly in the works of poets like Wheatley, Ann Plato, and Frederick Douglass. The book critiques traditional literary reading practices and emphasizes the need to reconsider the historical context and racial dynamics in American poetry. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

  • Source:Early American Literature. 2025/05, Vol. 60, Issue 2, p335
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:History
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:0012-8163
  • DOI:10.1353/eal.2025.a966568
  • Accession Number:187145641
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