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Newspaper Poetry

Lyric and Short Poetic Forms

Newspaper poetry, sometimes called magazine verse, was poetry published in newspapers, a common feature of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Anglo-American literary culture. Newspapers were the primary way most readers of the period encountered literature, since books were expensive, and poets such as William Cullen Bryant, John Greenleaf Whittier and the widely circulated Edgar Guest built their audiences this way before the genre declined after the modernist movement following the First World War.

Facts
Place of Origin
United Kingdom and United States 1
Notable Example
Edgar Guest 1
Defining Trait
Newspapers offered poets a more dependable source of income and a larger readership than standalone book publishing 1
Sources
1. Newspaper poetry - Wikipedia
  • Lead
    Poetry published in newspapers, known as newspaper poetry or sometimes magazine verse, was a common feature of 19th- and early 20th-century Anglo-American literary culture.
  • United States section
    Douglas calls Edgar Guest 'probably the most widely circulated newspaper poet of all time'.
  • Background section
    For poets, newspapers and other periodicals offered a more dependable source of income and a larger readership than standalone book publishing.
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