Supreme Surrender (corrected fair copy manuscript, British Library)

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Production Description

Document Title: Love's Surrender
Author: Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Date of composition: 1869 September?
Type of Manuscript: corrected fair copy

Provenance

Current Location: Ashley Collection, British Library
Catalog Number: Ashley 1403

Physical Description

Paper: lined paper, from typical notebook, measurements: 23.3 x 17cm
Watermark: J ALLEN & SONS/ SUPER FINE

Bibliography

  • Burnett, The Ashley Catalogue,I. 77
  • .

Scholarly Commentary

Introduction

This is a corrected fair copy of the earliest version of the sonnet. Before DGR had it printed in the First Trial Book early in October 1869, he made a number of important changes, including a change in the title.

Textual History: Composition

The date of composition is unclear. It was written no later than September 1869 and could have been written as early as the spring of 1868. It is the earliest of the extant manuscripts of the poem.

Textual History: Revision

DGR revised this text when he came to recopy the sonnet for its printing in the First Trial Book of the 1870 Poems in September 1869.

Printing History

It is printed in facsimile in Wise, The Ashley LibraryIV. 127 (facing page).

Electronic Archive Edition: 1
Source File: 2-1870.blms.rad.xml
Copyright: Reproduced with permission of the British Library.