Romantic Satire and British Nationalism
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University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 12-2017 Irish Harps, Scottish Fiddles, English Pens: Romantic Satire and British Nationalism Shannon Raelene Heath University of Tennessee, Knoxville, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Part of the Literature in English, British Isles Commons Recommended Citation Heath, Shannon Raelene, "Irish Harps, Scottish Fiddles, English Pens: Romantic Satire and British Nationalism. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2017. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/4744 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Shannon Raelene Heath entitled "Irish Harps, Scottish Fiddles, English Pens: Romantic Satire and British Nationalism." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in English. Nancy Henry, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Gerard Cohen-Vrignaud, Misty G. Anderson, Mary McAlpin Accepted for the Council: Dixie L. Thompson Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) Irish Harps, Scottish Fiddles, English Pens: Romantic Satire and British Nationalism A Dissertation Presented for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Shannon Raelene Heath December 2017 Copyright © 2017 by Shannon R. Heath All rights reserved. ii Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to the memory of my grandfather, Dorsa Mitchem, who taught me that a job worth doing is worth doing well, and to my grandmother, Savannah Mitchem, who gave me my sense of humor and always swore I had a doctor’s signature, although I think she meant M.D., not PhD. iii Acknowledgements “It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done.” – Vincent van Gogh Over the course of many years of study, there are a great many people to thank for their never- ending support and love. Starting with my family, I’d like to thank my mother, Judy, and sister, Whitney, for listening to me ramble out ideas and for the encouragement to keep going. I’d also like to thank Melanie and Julian Reece for their constant, loving support of numerous graduate students, for giving us a welcome gathering place and family for those of us who live far from our own. And to Fr. Rich Andre for his support and guidance, both spiritual and academic. To former teachers and colleagues who have continued their support from afar: Dr. John Baker, Dr. Lisa Leslie, Drs. Peter and Kaye Graham, Dr. David Radcliffe, and Dr. Malcolm Kelsall. A special thanks to my emotional support committee, John Walker, Matt, and Steve, and my “Blue Label” friends: Teresa, David, Maggie, Janelle, Traci, Eliza, Sam, and Leanne, for being there through all the frustrations of the past few years. I’d also like to thank my committee for their patience, support, and guidance throughout the completion of the project. And a belated thank you to Dr. Paul Kane, teacher, mentor, colleague, and friend, who encouraged me to apply for the PhD when I was in doubt. You are missed. iv Abstract “Irish Harps, Scottish Fiddles, English Pens: Romantic Satire and British Nationalism” discusses the intersection between satire and nationalism in late eighteenth- and early nineteenth- century British Romantic poetry. Using case studies of three prominent satirists, Robert Burns, Thomas Moore, and George Gordon, Lord Byron to represent marginalized nationalities within the British state, I examine the ways in which each poet expresses a sense of dis-ease or uncomfortableness with their own national identity, an anxiety caused either by the ways in which their nationality was perceived within the British public, or by their own ability or inability to express that nationality. Thus, Burns, Moore, and Byron use satire as a means to self-identify and/or promote a sense of national identity. While the lyrics of Burns and Moore have been studied as examples of nationalist poetry, little attention has been given to their satires or to Byron’s Hours of Idleness and English Bards and Scotch Reviewers as expressions of nationalism and national identity. Satire becomes a fitting genre for expressing the anxieties and frustration surrounding their identities, particularly as these negative emotions are directed toward the structures of power – political, cultural, and theological – that reinforce the perceived supremacy of English culture at the cost of the Scottish and Irish nations. The expressions of these identities are complicated by several variables, including education, social status, socio-economic status, and nationality itself. I argue that through the melding of satire and nationalism, ultimately, the figure of the bard, a traditional record-keeper of national culture and history, merged with the persona of the satirist to become an active, nation- shaping force rather than a passive observer. v Table of Contents Introduction .......................................................................................................................................1 Satire, Nationalism, and the Scottish Enlightenment .........................................................................4 Review of Literature...................................................................................................................... 10 Argument Overview and Chapter Summary .................................................................................... 19 Chapter 1: “Tell them wi’ a patriot-heat”: Robert Burns and Scottish National Identity ......................... 26 “Scots wha hae”: Scotland, Kirk, and State ..................................................................................... 33 “The Heaven-Taught Ploughman”: Biography and Critical Scholarship.............................................. 36 ”So vile a bustle”: Burns’s First religious satires .............................................................................. 40 Taking it public: Holy Fair in The Kilmarnock edition........................................................................ 45 The “humble Bardie”: Burns’s political satires in the Kilmarnock Edition .......................................... 53 The Edinburgh Edition ................................................................................................................... 67 Conclusion.................................................................................................................................... 71 Chapter 2: “Whispering in Doorways”: Thomas Moore and Satiric Sedition .......................................... 73 Irish History and the Problem with Nationalism .............................................................................. 81 Overvaluing the Melodies.............................................................................................................. 87 The United Irishmen, Honor, and Early Efforts ................................................................................ 95 Corruption and Intolerance ......................................................................................................... 104 The Sceptic ................................................................................................................................. 123 Intercepted Letters ..................................................................................................................... 137 Conclusion.................................................................................................................................. 150 Chapter 3: “Of Wrath and Rhyme”: Byron’s English Bards and Scotch Reviewers and the Struggle for National Identity............................................................................................................................. 154 Dual National Identity (Scottish Son, English Lord) ........................................................................ 159 Scholarship and the Battle for the Bard ........................................................................................ 165 “To Auld Lang Syne”: Establishing the value of Hours of Idleness and English Bards and Scotch Reviewers................................................................................................................................... 177 Hours of Idleness and the Edinburgh Review: the identity crisis preceding EBSR ............................. 181 English Bards and Scotch Reviewers: restructuring identity and lashing out.................................... 198 Conclusion.................................................................................................................................. 220 Irish Harps, Scottish Fiddles, English Pens: A Conclusion.................................................................... 224 Education, Status and Satiric Style ..............................................................................................