A Manchester Poem
The poem "A Manchester Poem" by George MacDonald is a reflection on the industrial city of Manchester and its people. The speaker describes the city's factories, chimneys, and smoke-filled skies, as well as the hardworking men and women who toil in them. Throughout the poem, there is a sense of both admiration for the city's industry and concern for the human cost of that industry. The speaker ultimately concludes that while Manchester may be a place of great wealth and power, it is also a place where "the soul is crushed beneath the wheel."
By George MacDonald · First published 1862 · Genre: Poetry, Social Commentary, Romanticism · 3,173 words
First lines
'Tis a poor drizzly morning, dark and sad. The cloud has fallen, and filled with fold on fold The chimneyed city; and the smoke is caught, And spreads diluted in the cloud, and sinks, A black precipitate, on miry streets. And faces gray glide through the darkened fog.
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A Manchester Poem is listed on Textopian as a poem by George MacDonald, dated 1862 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: George MacDonald
- Date: 1862 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Social Commentary, Romanticism, Religious/Spiritual, Pastoral
- Length: 3,173 words
- Structure: 1 section, 15 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse, employing poetic devices such as imagery, metaphor, and rhythm to convey its themes.
- Social Commentary — The poem reflects on the industrial cityscape and the lives of its inhabitants, critiquing the impact of industrialization on human life and the environment.
- Romanticism — The poem emphasizes nature, emotion, and the sublime, contrasting the industrial setting with the beauty and renewal of the natural world.
- Religious/Spiritual — The poem contains religious imagery and themes, such as references to Eucharist and resurrection, suggesting a spiritual dimension to the characters' experiences.
Tags
poetry · Manchester · industrial · urban · landscape · nature · society · working class · history · emotion · imagination · culture