Poetry of the People

The Great Depression was one of the most traumatic eras of recent American history. Donald W. Whisenhunt has analyzed, and provided context for, the vast collection of poetry and song lyrics in the Hoover and Roosevelt presidential libraries to assess another aspect of American public opinion. The poets of the era voiced their opinions about New Deal agencies, praised and condemned Hoover and Roosevelt, and expressed their views about the Supreme Court, the third term, and the approaching war in Europe.