Excelsior! Inspirational Verse, the Victorian Working-Class Poet, and the Case of Longfellow

Excelsior! Inspirational Verse, the Victorian Working-Class Poet, and Case of Longfellow Kirstie Blair (bio) Even though Ronan was snarling Noah sighing Adam hesitating, he didn't turn to verify that they were coming. He knew were. In three different ways, he'd earned them all days or weeks months before, when it came it, they'd follow him anywhere. "Excelsior," said Gansey, shut door behind them."Excelsior," Gansey bleakly.Blue asked, "What does even mean?" Maggie Stiefvater, from The Raven Boys shades night falling fastAs through an Alpine village passedA youth, who bore, 'mid snow ice,A banner with strange device, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, "Excelsior" Stiefvater's popular young adult fantasy sequence, Cycle, is a catchphrase used repeatedly superstitiously by protagonist, Richard III, whose quest for lost Welsh king buried in rural Virginia shapes four-book narrative. roughly meaning "ever higher," term popularized nineteenth century Longfellow's eponymous poem, which mysterious youth climbs onwards upwards into Alps, ignoring various warnings, then found frozen death final stanza. For cite at outset new adventures entering magical location entirely appropriate. Like hero, on lonely, [End Page 1] self-appointed, grimly determined mission, likely end his death. addition, Gansey's signifier excessive white male privilege. His elite private education, wealth, family's standing, are thematically central series. That familiar poem highly educated, cosmopolitan, Harvard professor love things European (while Blue, working-class woman, unfamiliar it) not surprising. signals resolve venture unknown strength keep going face danger despair. However, since none other characters Cycle recognize allusion, referencing also signifies something unusual twenty-first century; American hero only knows poetic canon but many ways attuned perceived nineteenth-century ideals duty perseverance. poetry, as this example suggests, still has ghostly inspirational presence contemporary literature. I select particular instance because shows how far "Excelsior"—and indeed our perception Longfellow—has traveled poem's mass circulation period. From being common property, senses word "common," now symbol eccentricity high-class education. arguably poet, poet people, privileged few. This article considers vital importance British poets readers mid-late period, suggests single most important influence their work, possibly second literary more broadly, after Robert Burns. Yet seek use means frame neglected genre verse, offer brief taxonomy genre, suggest complex operates, can be deployed political radical ends. While hardly positive dead its close, motives cause mystery, "Excelsior!" became shorthand inspired persist against odds. As Star Freedom (formerly Chartist Northern Star) suggested 1852: battle-anthem combat freedom right! Excelsior, exclaims martyr, friends should fail, gather darkly around. shouts patriot, scaffold loom ominously way, axe gleam, next step death-plunge grave.1 Excelsior manuscript magazine unknown...