The Pauper Palace By Crabbe 1810 Poem by Dr Ian Inkster

The Pauper-Palace, is verse taken from George Crabbe, The Borough, an exceptionally lengthy and high-quality prosey verse of 1810. Unlike other radical poems that I have selected for Poemhunter - see my entry for the title 'Oppression' whose story panel contains details - this comes not so much from the working class as from a journalist and writer who had enormous sympathies with the blight of working people. Its especially important because of the character of its critique of the new Poor Houses for the destitute and unemployed. Rather than attack the obvious physical hardships of these 'pauper palaces', Crabbe ironically identifies the even greater insult to the psyche of the whole working class of Britain. It should also be noted that the work was published during the Napoleonic Wars when all radical sympathies were suspected by the authorities as potential treason.
I use a heavy guitar base effect in my melodic version of the verse which accompanies this entry.

Dr Ian Inkster 2016