Versifying politics: G. D. H. Cole and the uses of poetry

Griffiths, Clare ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5735-3104 2025. Versifying politics: G. D. H. Cole and the uses of poetry. Love, G. and Toye, R., eds. Writing Politics in Modern Britain: Genre and Cultures of Publishing since 1900, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 107-124. (10.1017/9781009634304.008)

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Abstract

This chapter explores the poetry of G. D. H. Cole (1889–1959) as a medium for expressing political ideas, highlighting his dual identity as a socialist intellectual and poet. While Cole is best remembered for promoting guild socialism and contributing to economic history and the Fabian Society, he also published poetry, which he saw as part of his political life. His early and middle-age works, including New Beginnings (1914) and The Crooked World (1933), reflect a serious literary approach, aspiring to integrate historical verse forms within socialist thought. Cole’s poetic output also embraced satire, with The Bolo Book (1921) parodying hymns and popular songs to critique political figures and issues humorously. This blend of literary and satirical genres allowed him to engage readers in socialist discourse through varied tones and forms. By examining both the poetry itself and its cultural reception, this chapter illuminates how Cole’s verse contributed to and reflected British socialist culture in the early twentieth century, offering insight into how poetry served as a vehicle for political engagement in his era.

Item Type:	Book Section
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Global Humanities
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
ISBN:	9781009634328
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	17 August 2026
Last Modified:	17 Aug 2026 11:03
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/189019

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