datamining for verse in eighteenth-century newsapers

Datamining for verse in eighteenth-century newspapers

Jennifer Batt,

University of Bristol

[email protected]

Poems in newspapers

Westminster Journal

March 2 1745

Poems per issue, selected titles, 1745

• Universal Spectator – 1.2 (61 poems / 52 issues)

• Westminster Journal – 0.7 (35 poem / 52 issues)

• Dublin Journal – at least 0.6 (60 poems / 104 issues*)

• London Evening Post – 0.3 (49 poems / 156 issues)

• General Evening Post – at least 0.1 (19 poems / 156 issues*)

• St James’ Evening Post – at least 0.1 (14 poems / 156 issues*)

* denotes incomplete run of papers available

Image from LEP

Image from LEP

Northampton Mercury

Image from LEP

Northampton Mercury

To the Author of the Whitehall Evening-Post.

SIR,

I Read with a great deal of Pleasure the elegant Copy of Verses,

On the Queen’s Grotto, writ by Stephen Duck, and inserted in

your Paper on Tuesday the 12th Instant: Give me Leave, by your

Means, to offer to the Consideration of the modest and

ingenious Author, only two small Alterations.

No. 10.

THE sweetest Grotto, and the wisest Queen.

As the Word sweet occurs within two Lines, viz. sweet Abodes,

perhaps it wou’d be better to read fairest Grotto.

No. 21 &c.

But cease, my Muse, and cast thy wand’ring Eyes,

Where Phœbus’ lofty Domes Majestick rise;

Whose tuneful Strains have sung the Grotto’s Praise;

Contending each, till each deserves the Bays.

…..

Hoping he will excuse this Freedom,

I am, SIR,

His, and your humble Servant,

BENEVOLUS.

Image from LEP

Northampton Mercury

Sir, say’d he, (giving me the paper) you shall see. Here is a short

copy of verses in my name: true, I writ them, and doubtless,

with some faults, but not so many as they have now. …

---Hearing him speak thus I begg’d him to give me a genuine

copy, which he did very willingly. And having read it, I own his

resentment seems in some measure reasonable: I therefore, Mr.

BAVIUS, communicate his performance to you, (according to

the author’s own desire,) which, if you will honour with a place

in your paper, you will do justice to an honest man, and oblige

your constant reader.

Image from LEP

Northampton Mercury

http://politicalmeetingsmapper.co.uk/maps/Katrina Navickas

http://victorianhumour.tumblr.com/Bob Nicholson

What we did

pp. 1-2

p. 2

p. 3

p.4

‘Arts and Entertainment’

‘News’

‘News’

‘News’

• Ref to Hannah Rose Murray’s project

http://frederickdouglassinbritain.com/Hannah-Rose Murray

Elizabeth Lorang, Leen-Kiat Soh, Maanas Varma Dalta, Spencer Kulwicki, ‘Developing an Image-Based Classifier for Detecting Poetic Content in Historic Newspaper Collections’, D-Lib Magazine (July/August 2015) 21.7/8 DOI: 10.1045/july2015-lorang

Verse: 81% lines begin with capital

Prose: 52% lines begin with capital

Westminster Journal 3 March 1745

Verse: 83% lines begin with capital

Prose: 35% lines begin with capital

London Evening Post 3-5 September 1745

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/Z2001499204/BBCN

So what was going on?

-'tor -P r W xd Thr v.: 4qd. in: Nap0e's ;n ~scwqpeuve-*ij,.~ T'rofi vt~ht Man pz~s1tp i s" i . -To Man with higher Powers int~Jg5 i's' MAai-Aa ImayA The following - -How apro'os . f: r" :4 1, 1. *Tho fWp-LtX~ . An Einmi fi r.(O). r£11zer dn 2v ! ; r i.-d ag : . , : .e I yot 4 fle , d' il a iidEPur,, LmaJpin, .Wealti andj Po~vrv', Inis uyfiz State afide,.. Ait a, gidfliew his own. deefi hierj paysq - -. dabt rts1Ueu4ja s^ iii. re tfd,? w refifli'j allaiud: ~4., p may gurstO oui a t to~kuow . Wngvwas ' q ~rEXt~gltS 6In - audwuftf at d good,.b . ti b

Universal Spectator5 January, 1740

Up in. ;! - Accunm~is (Ai ;im late BA I PL E. -VUI_1 'i , T'- f:r ('-f1tMin wai j! ttigl4 lof[V Narl:! C U ml ;;: .* P,!rv.)(,[. : Jo;l t S ::\,' t i* '- y, Nam' ,-Cllci.- i)r TiI 'c', . and 2 ia; ;,born, .uI TO . . '-.-:.u.: 'he :;f cy ,~ 5..mU-n; 7:' f~e Pars .nm . L W. r p .F ic "u 'mI I i6 f;. :. ni, . . ,., li:nlr, Ar i. i A'.Y: OU Ir ';:on mi~ ireJ V~te s . lc . t(, :;.;. gB.f~e -l yield..t~ *'''Jnk: pe1m8 i ma: f,kisd .:; Bii c:' for! tie Vlur .' -in *,p li a. i d ;k n JllY,R by1t whi in-: and t3 ; ;t 0 t. } uZ by* l' l w Gtsit ha hi Ponooalta I) 'r -ner~ a; e uerIarrived at the irc; e s vice,: At ?. . a, t I . lt va- in! cjl!: Fitu'd. \' !w;: c.:lt ,- j B.x.',iJe F-. O .lc!~a :o yield.

Dublin Journal 14-18 May, 1745

C As the Adfair in the North feerns every Day to gain more tWCredit, tCe following Lines of Mr. Psior may be worthy the to ICofideration of all Parties among us.

What thoj' among ourrelves, with too much Heat, ort W: fweutimes.wongle, wvhen we Ihould debate, W– (A confequential Ill which Freedom drawvs, flt A bad Efficf, but from a noble Caufe) t We can with univeifal Zcal advance, toTo cutb the faithlefs Arrogancccof V rance. hi

Dublin Journal 10-14 September, 1745

j o i1 H AN D E L. Ta ,vr atk mtijals, fd contra audentior ito.

I RIELE you, Great-Mafter of the Lyre, -W Our Breads wi~th yarious Palion. lire; The Youth to M~artial Glory move, Now. melt to Pity rnow to Lore;s . While liftant Realms hy Pow'r confefs, Thy happy Coinpofitions blefs,. -An d Muhfc al OmnipvotenceLn addinge folemn Sounds to enfe; .How hard thy Fate! that here alone, -Where we caan call thy Notes our owns -Ingratitude lhou'd bce thy Lot,---And all thy Harmony forgot ! Cou'd Miice, .or<Rerve,- take Plcb, -Thou'4A1 tfee1;ala1.- the eii Difgrawce –Thy Father. Orpb# -s felt inl Tbra*s.3Westminster Journal 25 January 1745

Conclusions

With particular thanks to…

Mahendra Mahey and Ben O’Steen at British Library Labs

and

Harry Drake and Bobby Stuijfzand at the Jean Golding Institute for Data Intensive Research, University of Bristol

datamining for verse in eighteenth-century newsapers

Education