"Do What The Spirit Say Do": John Beecher And His Poetry (Social Protest, Political Poetry, Alabama)
Date of Award
1-1-1985
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
English
Abstract
John Beecher lived for nearly half of the twentieth century in the vanguard of social protest in the United States. His personal protest manifested itself primarily in two arenas which are often considered to be mutually exclusive, art and politics. In neither arena was he an organization man, but rather a "free radical." He belonged to no particular school of poets, and he espoused racial equality and freedom of ideology at times when neither of those issues was popular. Beecher felt no reticence about conjoining poetry and politics, confident of the benefits that might more than offset the detrimental effects. Consequently, he composed some of the most poignant political poetry of this century, and he used that poetry to augment his political support for many of the most prominent social struggles of the times.A descendant of a famous nineteenth century abolitionist family, Beecher was born, however, into the Southern white industrial aristocracy, although he refused to become a Southern white gentleman. His heritage imbued him with a social conscience and a personal sense of impending self-importance, the latter resulting in his collecting throughout his lifetime the personal documents that collectively tell his story. Available to scholars are his three-volume unpublished autobiography, copies of most of his personal and business correspondences, manuscripts of unpublished as well as published poetry, short stories, and novels, texts of speeches and essays, numerous periodical submissions, biographical articles and reviews of his published writings, and his notebooks. In addition, he published eleven volumes of poetry and two historical books. Many critics maintain that his published works alone are an important chronicle of half a century of American life.The archival materials bequeathed to posterity by the poet make it possible to examine his aesthetic and political development throughout his lifetime. This dissertation, in chronological narrative, attempts to establish and analyze the aesthetic and political development of Beecher within the context of his life and times, employing illustrations and documentation from the full range of available materials. It is the story of his quest for personal faith and the role of art and the common people in his discovery of it. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)
Recommended Citation
Helten, James Alfred, ""Do What The Spirit Say Do": John Beecher And His Poetry (Social Protest, Political Poetry, Alabama)" (1985). Theses and Dissertations. 8196.
https://commons.und.edu/theses/8196