Proserpina (British Library fair copy)

Proserpina (British Library fair copy) Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1 By permission of the British Library Proserpina Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1872 fair copy 1 small leaf British Museum Library, Ashley Collection Ashley 1409 octavo sheet of white laid paper Joy[ ]/ 18[ ] 7 1/8 by 4 3/8 inches. Commentary

Introduction

This is one of T. J. Wise's small bound volumes housing a single DGR manuscript.

Textual History: Composition

Textual History: Revision

Production History

Reception History

Iconographic

Printing History

Pictorial

Historical

Literary

Translation

Autobiographical

Bibliographic

Bookplate with standing female angel blowing trumpet and seated female angel. Between the two figures is a flowing banner on which is inscribed the owner's name. Below the figures and the ower's name is an inscribed poem.

THOMAS JAMES WISE HIS BOOK

BOOKS BRING ME FRIENDS WHERE'ER ON EARTH I BE. SOLACE OF SOLITUDE- BONDS OF SOCIETY! <foreign lang="italian">Proserpina</foreign>. Lungi la luce che in sù questo muro Mi giunge appena, un breve istante scorta Del mio palazzo alla lontana porta. Lungi quei fiori d'Enna, O lido oscuro, Dal frutto tuo fatal per cui Snaturo — Lungi quel cielo dal tartareo manto Che qui mi cuopre: e lungi ahi lungi ahi quanto Le notti che saran dai dì che furo! Lungi da me mi sento; e ognor sognando, Cerco e ricerco, e resto ascoltatrice; E qualche cuore a qualche anima dice, (Di cui mi giunge il suon di quando in quando, Continuamente insieme sospirando,)— “Oimè per te, Proserpina infelice!” In this bound volume, Wise included the text from the fourth edition (1882) of DGR's <hi rend="i">Ballads and Sonnets</hi> , which has been omitted in this transcription.