Poetry for the Many: An Anthology

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Why can’t you ask something about the behaviour of the Israeli army and the Israeli government?” he said. “Why can’t you have a discussion about how a ceasefire would come about? Why can’t you ask about a process for the future which brings about peace for everybody?” The problem is, such obsessive ideologues are not content to leave it at this at all, but insist upon pushing it onto others by force – namely, helpless schoolchildren. The literature curriculum in British schools is increasingly dominated by politically motivated identitarian activist trash like the above, at the behest not only of certain activist teachers, but, more seriously, of examination boards and teaching unions. I am not working class, but I have read a lot of poetry and even studied it at university, and let me tell you – there is no poet in me. I would like to tell you that a former Tory candidate would be better at grilling far-left figures like former Unite Union leader, Len McCluskey and former Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn. I would also like to say that the audience was hanging onto every charged word or phrase, but this would all be untrue. The start of Iain Dale’s Fringe campaign ‘All Talk’ started with a distant and subdued pop as a half-full house took their seats to watch the talk unfold.

As a free ebook, Poets for Corbyn lends itself well to sharing through social media at a time when speed is of the essence as the leadership vote gets under way. After all, there really was little warning given to the literary community of Corbyn’s rise to prominence. He’s only been an MP for 32 years. Since the advent of StoryTerrace, we have seen literature have the power to inspire and uplift people from all walks of life – and this is what truly lies at the core of our ethos, giving everyone a space to share their story and to explore the nuances of their lifetime through the power of literature. Elsewhere, young readers just out of the Ladybird Books Alphabet Scheme learn that metaphysical poets are “those who emphasise ideas” (p.86), that “Shakespeare is regarded by many as the greatest English poet” (p.116), that Dylan Thomas died of alcoholism aged only 39, something “which ensured that he was doomed as a career poet” (p.56), that “Translating poetry is difficult. A poem that rhymes in English will not have the same effect in another language” (p.131), and that Oscar Wilde would surely have been pardoned for his homosexuality under the Labour government of Gordon Brown, who quite rightly helped do the same thing for Alan Turing in 2009 (p.64).When pressed by Morgan, Mr McCluskey said he believed Hamas is a terror group and does not believe it should remain in power. Both are staunch defenders of democracy, having served in elected positions over the last 50 years. They are both well-known public servants, in the real sense of the term. They are unashamedly proud trade unionists, who share a common history of fighting injustice in the workplace and their communities. Jeremy also at one point recalls the natural poetry of a speech he once heard his predecessor as Labour leader Michael Foot give about the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (p.41). One poem written by a Cuban wrongly imprisoned in the US for espionage, meanwhile, “brought tears to hard-nosed British trade unionists’ eyes” when Len McCluskey read it out to the TUC conference in 2008, apparently (p.137). Did he misinterpret precisely why they all burst into tears? Jeremy Corbyn and Len McCluskey collaborated to help achieve the biggest electoral success for socialism in recent British history. The two men share a passionate belief in a fairer, more equal Britain, encapsulated in Labour's election slogan For the many, not the few.

In response, Mr Corbyn told Morgan: “You shout at people all the time” and said the host’s “inability to keep quiet for 30 seconds” meant he was unable to answer the question. This book will give the reader a new opportunity to get to know both these men better in a unique and perhaps surprising way. Alongside the widely-known fact of their shared political beliefs, there is something less well-known that they have in common and that underpins their friendship: a love of poetry. Trade Unions Are Starting to Turn the Tide” — POETRY FOR THE MANY author Jeremy Corbyn interviewed in Jacobin (9/27/2023) The anthology ‘Poetry for the Many’ is a unique blend of literature and ideology. It reflects the shared vision of Corbyn and McCluskey, encapsulating their belief in socialism and commitment to social justice. The anthology is expected to appeal to a broad spectrum of readers, from political enthusiasts to literary aficionados. Corbyn’s Interview with Piers MorganFeaturing their favourite poems from the likes of Shakespeare and Maya Angelou alongside contributions from Russell Brand, Maxine Peake and Michael Rosen, ‘Poetry for the Many’ intends to encourage readers to embrace poetry and shake off any notion it’s something to be dismissed as ‘posh’.

The poems selected will stir every emotion, from heartbreak to profound love, from pride in bravery to the despair of war. Some poets are well-known, others less so. But all of them are inspiring to read, and their talent is celebrated by Jeremy and Len with words that are personal and passionate. It’s because poetry is extremely hard to do well, and if you think that’s not the case, then you’ve either never tried it, or you’re utterly tone deaf to the crapness of your own efforts. Hmmm. Which, do you think, applies to Corbyn?

The collaboration between Corbyn and McCluskey is not just confined to the world of literature. Their combined efforts have been instrumental in achieving the biggest electoral success for socialism in recent British history. Their shared commitment to socialist principles has evidently resonated with the electorate, marking a significant shift in the political landscape of the country. ‘Poetry For the Many’: A Blend of Literature and Ideology I want to see change in our society” — POETRY FOR THE MANY authors Jeremy Corbyn and Len McCluskey featured in The Independent (8/6/2023) Far from being “For the Many”, it transpired Corbyn and McCluskey’s brand of pathetic, student-radical style intersectional nonsense had about as much appeal to the average voting member of the general public as does the unreadable politically-motivated dirge of contemporary Far-Left British agit-poets like Ka(t)e Tempest (she isn’t sure, her gender shifts by the day, meaning her name, like that of Keats, is “writ in water”) or George the Poet (a man whose gifts are so negligible he actually has to advertise the fact he is a poet in his own stage-name – imagine Shakespeare calling himself Bill the Quill). In a significant move towards promoting socialism in Britain, former Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, and noted British trade unionist, Len McCluskey, have collaborated on a new anthology titled ‘ Poetry For the Many‘. The anthology, which stands as a testament to their shared political ideology, is not just a literary endeavour but also a philanthropic one. All proceeds from the book sales will be contributed to the Peace & Justice Project, a not-for-profit initiative championing peace and social justice. Corbyn and McCluskey: Achieving Electoral Success for Socialism

Poetry for the Many will encourage readers to “embrace poetry and shake off any notion that it is not something to be read, written, or appreciated by working-class people”, Murphy said. Apart from the short reprints of extracts from Yeats et al, which you can easily get elsewhere for free anyway, the entire content of this book is embarrassingly worthless, albeit admittedly quite funny. That said, if people of Corbyn and McCluskey’s mindset really want to spend their days either reading modern rubbish, or systematically misinterpreting actual worthwhile poetry of the past so that, say, John Donne’s “No man is an island, entire of itself” suddenly becomes a paean to collectivist Communism, that is their business. British people inhabit a free society (at least until the Labour Party are soon re-elected) and if this really makes them happy, why not? This book grew out of regular conversations Len and I hold about poetry: the enjoyment we get from it and the opportunity it provides for escape and inspiration,” Corbyn said. “When putting it together, the hardest part was deciding what to leave out.”I thought committed re-educators of youth and public taste like Len and Jeremy wanted poetry to be for the Many, not the Few? In other words, poems should function primarily as a handy means of verbal, pseudo-literary indoctrination of their readers or listeners. Unlike, say, Robert Graves or Ted Hughes, who viewed poets almost as modern-day shamans, for Len and Jeremy, poets should be propagandists. One versifier included is a Palestinian Communist, for example: shamefully, he isn’t gay and in a wheelchair, too. Surprisingly, one left-wing poet who doesn’t appear in Poetry for the Many is Josef Stalin, who held youthful ambitions in this area himself, once; maybe he will make an appearance in the book’s sequel. Adolescent verse