Title: Lonesome words : the vocal poetics of the Old English lament and the African-American blues song /
Authors: McGeachy, M. G.
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan,
Year: 2006
Subjects: Elegiac poetry, English (Old) History and criticism.; Laments England History and criticism.; American poetry African American authors History and criticism; African Americans Songs and music History and criticism.; Comparative literature English (Old) and American.; Comparative literature American and English (Old); Oral tradition England History; Blues (Music) History and criticism; Oral tradition United States.; Loneliness in literature.; Comparative literature English and American.; Comparative literature American and English.
Abstract: "The tenth-century Old English lament and twentieth-century blues song each speak the language of a distinct poetic tradition, yet the voices are remarkably similar in their emotive expression of loneliness. This innovative study juxtaposes the texts of each corpus to explore the features that characterize their vocal poetics. McGeachy examines how the texts evoke the dynamic of performance and explores the role of recording - in manuscript and on 78 rpm record - in establishing the distinctive formulas of each genre. Featured are a study of blues artist Robert Johnson's work and a comparison of two anthologies: the Exeter Book and the Folkways Anthology of American Folk Music."--Jacket.
Contents: Introduction: Don't the world seem lonely ... -- Captivated performance -- Recording the formula -- Blues and trouble ... sorg ond slæp [sorrow and sleep] -- Anthologizing sorrow -- Conclusion : strange yet familiar -- Apendix: A cormulaic analysis of Robert Johnson's recorded blues.