New British Poetry: 2 The North of England
Once regarded as the engine-room of the British Empire, half a century of economic and political neglect have left the north of England a region frequently characterized as a place of hardship and lack of opportunity. Yet beyond the scenes of urban decay, industrial decline and social disenfranchisement, there is a landscape of astonishing beauty- one that has inspired poets for centuries. The population sees itself as honest-speaking, patient, determined, hardworking survivors. Undoubtedly one of their most winning traits is a capacity for ironical, often self-deprecating humour, which, even in the face of difficulties, remains as a foundation for self-knowledge and achievement.
Many of these traits can be seen in the work of Middlesborough poet Andy Croft. Croft has published numerous books, two of the most recent being GREAT NORTH (Northumberland: Iron Press, 2001), and JUST AS BLUE (Hexham: Flambard Press, 2001). JUST AS BLUE is, in the broadest sense, the more conventional of the two, exhibiting Croft's commitment to strictly-rhymed and traditionally-metered forms over a wide range of subjects. What makes his work exceptional in this mode is the sheer energy he brings to his themes-themes that range from the bookish (ripostes, or at least sophisticated responses, to his literary forebears) to the quotidian. But here, as elsewhere Croft is at his best when he speaks from his heart about the people he knows best: the decent, the proud and the unlucky who surround him. I especially liked his poem 'Coining It', which details with real feeling what it meant to the men and women obliged by poverty to leave their communities, and who 'made a home of anywhere', whose children even now must go abroad in search of work, their 'accents stamped with failure'. But in my view, Croft's finest achievement is in GREAT NORTH. I must admit, it is on the surface, an unlikely subject or manner to invite readers: a miniature epic in rhymed pentameters recounting his experiences in the Great North Run ('With almost 50,000 entries the largest half-marathon on the planet'). I, too, was skeptical. And yet, there is a disarmingly dignified Introduction, which points out the historic intersection between sport and poetry, while the verse itself never falters in either its aptness or its lucidity. It is never faking in its style or its sentiments. There is a marvelous moment when an amused and incredulous spectator watches this army of runners pass by and mutters 'There must be a job gannin in Sooth Sheels'. All in all, GREAT NORTH has what a reader expects from the best in British poetry: technical mastery, humour, emotional forthrightness, and a fully-charged engagement with political and social realities. It is a curiously compelling minor masterpiece, and worth a look by anyone who wants an insight into the vernacular of this region.
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