Brown Romantics: Poetry and Nationalism in the Global Nineteenth Century (Transits: Literature, Thought & Culture, 1650–1850)

Brown Romantics: Poetry and Nationalism in the Global Nineteenth Century proceeds from the conviction that it is high time for the academy in general and scholars of European Romanticism to acknowledge the extensive international impact of Romantic poetry. Chander demonstrates the importance of Romantic notions of authorship to such poets as Henry Derozio (India), Egbert Martin (Guyana), and Henry Lawson (Australia), using the work of these poets, each prominent in the national cultural of his own country, to explain the crucial role that the Romantic myth of the poet qua legislator plays in the development of nationalist movements across the globe. The first study of its kind, Brown Romantics examines how each of these authors develop poetic means of negotiating such key issues as colonialism, immigration, race, and ethnicity.-- "Modern Language Review" 1. Henry Derozio And The Beginnings Of Indian Romanticism -- 2. Christian Romanticism In British Guiana: The Case Of Egbert Martin -- 3. Henry Lawson And The Legacy Of Romantic Sympathy -- 4. Conclusion: Brown Keats. Manu Samriti Chander. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 115-120) And Index. Focusing on representative nineteenth-century poets from India, British Guiana, and Australia, Brown Romantics shows how English Romantic poetry and the national traditions that sprang up in the colonies redefined each other and should therefore be read as the single formation, global Romanticism.