THE HOLY GRAIL and Other Poems

First Edition. 8vo, handsomely presented in a fine binding of full polished calf, the covers with triple gilt fillet lines at the borders and with floral corner-pieces, the spine with raised bands gilt stopped, gilt lettered on a green morocco label in one compartment, the remaining compartments fully gilt decorated and tooled, blind tooled turn-ins and all edges marbled. [vi], 222 pp., publisher's ad on verso of half-title A very pleasing copy, the binding very handsome and well preserved, the text-block in fine condition as well.

Edizione: a very attractive collection of poems printed during tennyson's tenure as poet laureate. the collection includes the four holy grail poems (the coming of arthur, the holy grail, pelleas and ettarre, and the passing of arthur) and seven others (northern farmer new style, golden supper, the victim, wages, the higher pantheism, flower in the crannied wall, and lucretius).<br> tennyson remains one of the most popular british poets. the first four long poems are from his famous 'idylls of the king', based on the arthurian legends, and occupy nearly three quarters of the volume. the others are shorter lyrics, at which the author so excelled. 'the golden supper' is founded upon a story in boccaccio. 'the victim' concerns a legend from charlotte yonge's golden deeds that intrigued tennyson. it tells of a "heathen monarch who was bidden by his priests to appease the supposed wrath of his gods by the sacrifice of the being dearest to him. in 'lucretius' the titular character's neglected wife gives him a love philter in hopes that he will begin to display affection for her again. however, steady doses of the potion cause lucretius to go mad. he has nightmares about sensuous "hetairai," the flame-spouting breasts of helen of troy, and other visions of a sexual nature.