The Poetry of Tony Harrison

This is a full-length study of the work of Tony Harrison - a controversial figure in current British poetry. Spencer discusses Harrison's poetry, translations, verse drama and recent polemical writings, such as those on the Gulf War. While focusing on Harrison's politics, Spencer pays full attention to the poet's formal and technical achievements.;Organized chronologically, the book explores the ways in which Harrison's working-class background and developing political concerns have shaped his work, from his first major collection, "The Loiners" (1970) through to more recent film-poems such as "Black Daisies for the Bride" (1993). Detailed readings of individual poems and analysis of common themes such as sexuality, class, language, violence and love are used to support Luke Spencer's estimate of Harrison as "one of the best political poets of the 20th century". At the same time, Spencer challenges some of Harrison's ideas, especially his position on gender. The result is a critical engagement with Harrison's work which should provoke lively reactions among readers.