<title level="doc">The Sonnet (Yale fair copy) Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1 © Yale University, Center for British Art The Sonnet DGR 1880 2 small leaves Yale Center for British Art The documents are preserved in a slide held in the Center's collection. They comprise two small leaves of unlined white paper. Both are photographed together on the original slide. Commentary
Introduction

The manuscript of the sonnet is the copy that DGR sent to T. Hall Caine in a letter of 16 February 1880. The scarcely legible accompanying note by Caine was written later. The location of the documents themselves is not known. There is no question, however, as to the authenticity of the document.

Textual History: Composition

Textual History: Revision

Production History

Reception History

Iconographic

Printing History

Pictorial

Historical

Literary

Translation

Autobiographical

Bibliographic

The Sonnet A Sonnet is a moment's monument,— Memorial from the Soul's eternity To one dead deathless hour. Look that it be, Whether for lustral rite or dire portent, Of its own intricate fulness reverent: Carve it in ivory or in ebony, As Day or Night prevail; and let Time see It's flowering crest impearled and orient. A Sonnet is a coin: its face reveals Thy soul,—its converse, to what Power 'tis due:— Whether for tribute to the august appeals Of Life, or dower in Love's high retinue, It serve; or, 'mid the dark wharf's cavernous breath, In Charon's palm it pay the toll to Death.

D.G. Rossetti

This is the original enclosure inserted inRossetti's letter printed at p. 254 of Recollections of Rossetti and presentedby me to my friend Eric S. Robertson.T. Hall Caine.