Sun-Up, and Other Poems

The politically charged and evocative poetry of Lola Ridge remains as distinctive today as when first penned over a century ago.

An anthology spanning several years of Ridge’s most appreciated verse, Sun-Up and Other Poems is both a fine introduction to and a representation of the poet’s style and subjects. Meditations upon femininity accompany tributes to her fellow feminist and anarchist radicals, while the stunning sights of the modern city – such as skyscrapers coursing with electricity – receive vivid treatment. Sentimental notes also appear; tender memories of her parents, childhood, and the countryside.

Born in 1873 in Dublin, Ireland, Lola Ridge emigrated first to Australia and then to the United States. It was upon witnessing the stark poverty and countless destitute civilians scraping by in the boroughs of New York City that her interest in radical politics and a bettering of life for society’s lower classes blossomed. By the early 20th century the emancipation movement had attained the vote for women, but rights elsewhere were lacking; a privation Ridge sought to redress with fearless enthusiasm. It was thus that combined grievances of the poor and female populations spurred some of Lola Ridge’s most passionate poems and protests.