The Preraphaelites And Their Circle

This useful volume presents the major works of the five leading PreRaphaelite poets. Foremost in the collection, and included in their entirety are D. G. Rossetti's The House of Life, C. G. Rossetti's 'Monna Innominata,' William Morris's 'Defence of Guenevere,' Swinburne's Atalanta in Calydon, and Meredith's 'Modern Love.' Complementing these major poems is a fine, generous selection of the poets' shorter pieces that are typical of their work as a whole. For this second edition, Cecil Lang has substituted two early Swinburne poems, 'The Leper' and 'Anactoria,' for Fitzgerald's The Rubiyt of Omar Khayym. These poems, which the editor describes as 'shocking,' show a new aspect of Swinburne not discussed previously.Lang's Introduction describes briefly the founding of the PreRaphaelite Brotherhood, discusses each of the PreRaphaelite poets, both individually and in relation to the others, and grapples with the questions of definition of PreRaphaelitism and the similarities between its painting and poetry. The book is appropriately illustrated with thirtytwo works by D. G. Rossetti, John Ruskin, William H. Hunt, and other PreRaphaelite artists.This is the only anthology available that provides a representative selection of the work of these important poets. It will be indispensable to students of Victorian poetry and appreciated by readers interested in the PreRaphaelites.