The Beginnings of Poetry

by Francis Barton Gummere

Francis Barton Gummere, professor of English at Haverford College, was a leading American defender of the communal theory of poetry's origins, and this book of 1901 sets out his case. He argues that rhythm is the essential fact of poetry and that the earliest verse grew from the singing and dancing of the throng, before the individual poet stepped forward. He distinguishes communal poetry from the poetry of art, examines the evidence of anthropology and the ballad, and traces the gradual triumph of the artist. Learned and spirited, the book belongs to a long debate about the ballads and the first forms of song, and it remains rewarding for anyone curious about poetic form. It is available to read online in your browser on Vinteuil, and the first chapter is free.