The Southern war poetry of the Civil War

"The Southern War Poetry of the Civil War" by Esther Parker Ellinger is a detailed study focusing on the poetry created in the South during the Civil War. Ellinger makes a case for this poetry as a crucial way to understand the feelings and culture of the Confederacy at the time. The initial part of the work sees Ellinger thanking those who helped with her research and explaining how poetry was a strong outlet for emotions, going further than just the facts of what happened. Its initial portions highlight the importance of this Southern war poetry as an expressive voice that shared the feelings of people fighting for their freedom and identity, arguing against views that it was unimportant. It puts forth that the poetry did more than tell about the war, also getting across the spirit, passion, and commitment of Southerners in the war.