Poems
London: Edward Moxon, 1849. First edition, first/second printing. Publisher's slate green cloth, blind stamped with rules and floral pattern, spine titled in gilt. Octavo. [8, ads (dated January 1, 1845)], 250, [1], [blank]; 257. 7" x 4.5" Period inked ownership inscriptions each volume, internally very clean, spines sunned to brown as usual, moderate wear spine volume 1, spine head chipped off at top edge, mild wear spine volume 2, light wear corners, mild rubbing and soiling boards. Overall a very good set of this important poetic collection. Item #235241
Barrett's breakout collection earned her near-instant acclaim in both the UK and America and contains some of her most enduring early works, including are "The Cry of the Children," "Lady Geraldine's Courtship," "A Vision of Poets."
These poems so captured the heart of Robert Browning that he felt compelled to write her of his admiration. The famed epistolary courtship began on January 10, 1845: "I love your verses with all my heart, dear Miss Barrett... and I love you too." Over the course of the next twenty months, they would exchange nearly 575 letters before marrying in secret in September 1846.
This copy contains a single instance of curious marginalia at the close of "Crowned and Wedded" (p. 141), where a previous owner has deemed it appropriate to amend the final line: "The blessings happy peasants have, be thine, O crowned queen!"––striking through "crowned" and replacing it with "wedded." The alteration is a symbolic one that captures the significance of this collection in Elizabeth's own life––both sparking the relationship that would change the course of her life and crowning her as the queen of nineteenth-century poetry.
Mixed impressions, as is common. Volume one is second printing, with the line "Let your flood / Of scorn dash on me!" (p. 141). Volume two is mixed impression, with broken pagination to p. 160 (second), but lacking "THE END" to p. 275 (first).
[Barnes, A5].
Price: $1,500.00