Tweddell's Poems on Poets and Poetry

In 2009, Paul Tweddell and I (Trev Teasdel) embarked on a project to collate, for the first time in history, all
of the poetry by Stokesley born, 19thC poet, author, Chartist, printer publisher and people's historian - George Markham Tweddell, whose poetry had been widely published in his day in numerous international newspapers, journals and other publications. Apart from his collection of 100 masonic poems, he'd never had a full collections or proper appraisal of his poetic works.

The full collection, showing him to have been much more prolific throughout his 80 years on the planet than anyone previously thought, included many from his manuscript books unpublished in his time and much more diverse in both subject matter and form. The manuscript books indicated to us that Tweddell was attempting, in later life, to collate his published and unpublished poems into collections around a number of themes - eg Sonnets of Flowers and Trees. This is reflected on the Tweddell poetry hub, with blogspots like this housing special collections of Tweddell's poems on various themes. Click here to view the Tweddell Poetry Hub to gain access to all the various collections http://tweddellpoetryhub.blogspot.co.uk/

Tweddell had mentioned making a collection called Sonnets on Poets or similar title. There are quite a few on poets and poetry - hence this collection and he was part of a network of northern based radical poets that included Ebenezer Elliot (The Poor Law Rhymer), James Montgomery and more.

Having just created this particular blogspot, you'll have to return later to see the interesting content we hope to upload here.

Thanks for viewing.

SONNET TO BURNS.

We owe this poem poem to Dr Clark McGinn, Centre for Robert Burns Studies, University of Glasgow who says "I am working on a study of poems about Robert Burns and found this by GMT (which I couldn't find in the indices to three volumes) "

SONNET TO BURNS.
George F Pardon (ed.), The Quarterly Magazine of the Independent Order of Odd-Fellows, Manchester Unity, Volume I, 1858), p.448.

BURNS! from my childhood I have loved thy lays,
And they have taught me bravely to endure
All human ills. Thy muse doth make more pure
The heart that loves her: as in the darkest days,
For suffering Freedom, thou didst touch the chords
Of manly feeling in each British heart,
Till all the worthy wished to bear a part
In their dear land’s redemption. Holy words
Of comfort for humanity did fall
From thy sweet lyre: tyrant and bigot quail’d
Before thee, whilst all wise and good men hail’d
Thee as a God sent poet. Cottage and hall
Have heard thy hymnings; and the trump of fame
O’er all the world proclaims old Scotia’s ploughboy’s name.

George Markham Tweddle. (Tweddell)

Cleveland Lodge, No 789.