The End of It (18th June 1815) Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1 1845
a4b3c4b3d4e3f4e3 iambic ballad The rhyme scheme and stanza structure vary in the third and second stanzas respectively. Stanza 2 has nine lines, and the last four all have three stresses; the rhyme is: abcbdefee. Stanza 3 rhymes: ababcdefe. Also, the ballad measure breaks into anapaests in an irregular way at several points in the poem.
<author/> <city/> <publisher/> <date/> <pages/> </bibl> <note/> </citnliterary> <citntranslationoriginal> <bibl> <title/> <author/> <city/> <publisher/> <date/> <pages/> </bibl> <note/> </citntranslationoriginal> <citnpictorial> <title/> <artist/> <location/> <bibl> <title/> <author/> <city/> <publisher/> <date/> <pages/> </bibl> <note/> </citnpictorial> <citnmythic> <name/> <culture/> <bibl> <title/> <author/> <city/> <publisher/> <date/> <pages/> </bibl> <note/> </citnmythic> <citnhistorical> <event/> <place/> <date/> <bibl> <title/> <author/> <city/> <publisher/> <date/> <pages/> </bibl> <note/> </citnhistorical> <citnautobiographical> <name/> <place/> <date/> <bibl> <title/> <author/> <city/> <publisher/> <date/> <pages/> </bibl> <note/> </citnautobiographical> <citnscenic> <place/> <date/> <bibl> <title/> <author/> <city/> <publisher/> <date/> <pages/> </bibl> <note/> </citnscenic> </listcitn> </source> <commentaries> <head>Commentary</head> <section type="intro"> <head>Introduction</head> <p>DGR sent the poem to Swinburne in a letter of 23 February 1870 as <quote>“one of fifty short pieces. . .which I have found among my reliques and rejected”</quote> from inclusion in the 1870 <xref doc="a.1-1870.raw"> <title level="doc"> <hi rend="i">Poems</hi> volume. The latter volume would be published shortly after this letter, in April. DGR told Swinburne this was “what I may call my first poem (after still more childish things) I believe, and enclose it to you for a lark” (see Fredeman, <hi rend="i">Correspondence</hi> , 70. 32 ).

The poem serves to index the way DGR was thinking about his 1870 volume: as a book that was to represent the development and shape (both formal and historical) of his poetic work.

Textual History: Composition

The manuscript sent to Swinburne is dated 18 June 1845 by DGR—the thirtieth anniversary of Waterloo. A partial manuscript survives (Duke University library), probably from an early Notebook, which shows some revisions to the text. This manuscript is written on one of the leaves that comprise the Duke manuscript of “To Mary in Summer” .

Textual History: Revision

Production History

Reception

Iconographic

Printing History

The poem was first printed (from the manuscript sent to Swinburne) in 1923 by T. J. Wise in the <hi rend="i">Ashley Library</hi> , IV. 109-111 ; Baum printed the Duke manuscript text in 1931 ( <hi rend="i">Manuscripts in the Duke University Library</hi> , 11 ).

Pictorial

Historical

The poem recreates the event of Waterloo (June 1815) at the moment that Napoleon realizes his defeat has been accomplished.

Literary

Translation

Autobiographical

Bibliographic

Baum, <hi rend="i">Manuscripts in the Duke University Library</hi> , 11 Gregory, <hi rend="i">Life and Works of Dante Gabriel Rossetti</hi> , II. 102 Mégroz, <hi rend="i">Painter Poet of Heaven and Earth</hi> , 40-41 Wise, <hi rend="i">The Ashley Library</hi> , IV. 109-11

Ashley Library Manuscript Text Napoleon was exiled to St. Helena after his defeat at Waterloo. Ashley Library Manuscript Text To Mary in Summer DGR 1847 0 The End of It (18th June 1815) (holograph fair copy, British Library) Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1845 0 Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Painter Poet of Heaven in Earth: Rossetti Archive Document R. L. Megroz 1929 0