Percy Bysshe Shelley Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1 By permission of the British Library SONNET ON PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY - D.G. ROSSETTI - 1881 Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1881 fair copy [i-iii], [1-2] This bound volume was put together by T. J. Wise to house DGR's fair copy manuscript. Wise added the book's elaborate title. British Museum Library, Ashley Collection Ashley 3860 lined white paper 16 x 22 cm This is a leaf torn from one of DGR's typical notebooks. Commentary
Introduction

Th is a corrected copy of the sonnet made from the draft copy in the Library of Congress.

T. J. Wise bound this booklet for DGR's fair copy of his Shelley sonnet, followed by a printed copy and artistic title page with a portrait of Shelley as a frontispiece. The booklet cover is red levant morrocco bound by Riviere with an embossed or stamped title. Paper is Whatman's hand-made, uncut in the original blue-grey paper boards, backed with white, with white paper back-label.

Textual History: Composition

Textual History: Revision

Production History

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Iconographic

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Bibliographic

Sonnet on Percy Bysshe Shelley by Dante Gabriel Rossetti --- First published in “Ballads and Sonnets” 1881 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 owner'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! Engraved portrait of Percy Bysshe Shelley This is a printed copy of the poem V. PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY.<lb/> (<hi rend="sc"> Inscription for the couch, still preserved, on which <lb/>he passed the last night of his life.</hi>) 'Twixt those twin worlds,—the world of Sleep, which gave No dream to warn,—the tidal world of Death, Which the earth's sea, as the earth, replenisheth,— Shelley, Song's orient sun, to breast the wave, Rose from this couch that morn. Ah! did he brave Only the sea?—or did man's deed of hell Engulph his bark 'mid mists impenetrable? . . . . No eye discerned, nor any power might save. When that mist cleared, O Shelley! what dread veil Was rent for thee, to whom far-darkling Truth Reigned sovereign guide through thy brief age- less youth? Was the Truth thy Truth, Shelley?—Hush! All- Hail, Past doubt, thou gavs't it; and in Truth's bright sphere Art first of praisers, being most praisèd here. Slightly different manuscript version of printed poem on previous page. <hi rend="sc">V. Percy Bysshe Shelley.<lb/> (Inscription for the couch, still preserved, on which<lb/> he passed the last night of his life.)</hi> 'Twixt those twin worlds,—the world of Sleep, which gave No dream to warn,—the tidal world of Death, Which the earth's sea, as the earth, replenisheth,— Shelley, Song's orient sun, to breast the wave, Rose from this couch that morn. Ah! did he brave Only the sea?—or did man's deed of hell Engulph his bark 'mid mists impenetrable? . . . . No eye discerned, nor any power might save. When that mist cleared, O Shelley! what dread veil Was rent for thee, to whom far-darkling Truth Was Reigned sovereign guide through thy brief ageless youth? Was the Truth thy Truth, Shelley?—Hush! All-Hail, Past doubt, thou gav'st it; and in this thy Truth's bright sphere Art first of praisers, being most praisèd here.