Playing the Game

Two of Henry Newbolt’s poems, ‘Vitaï Lampada’ and ‘Drake’s Drum’, became staples of poetry anthologies and were able to be recited by every school-boy. His poetry was also deeply significant in constructing ideas around late Victorian/Edwardian imperial manliness. A consequence of this was that Newbolt became in his own time one of the best known and most popular of writers. However, in the years since his death, his work has fallen into comparative critical neglect and he has been seen as a mouthpiece for the worst aspects of his age. The aim therefore of this new edition is to place the poet’s literary work in a broader context that has hitherto not been addressed as well as offering a fresh appraisal of a significant literary figure. Aside from careful consideration of the poetry, of equal interest is Newbolt’s active public life. He contributed widely to government committees and debates on education, as well as working for the propaganda bureau in the First World War and advising on the Irish question. The links between his poetry - which spanned over three decades - and the socio-economic changes under way in the British Isles at the time are a primary theme of John Howlett’s substantial Introduction to the work. Exploring this wider historical context means that this book is an essential research tool for the field of Victorian and Edwardian poetry but also cultural studies.