this book is a comprehensive analysis of a neglected aspect of chartism, its poetry. here the chartists are documented as poet-politicians. in order to show how much this poetry can contribute to a deeper understanding of the movement, the poems are treated as literary pieces and as historical sources. being a mass phenomenon, these poems and songs served as a vehicle of chartism. they not only express critical insights into society, but also, and even more so, reveal the emotions and values which brought about the mass consensus.