Michael Scott's Wooing (For a Picture) Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1 By permission of The British Library [Letter to Theodore Watts-Dunton] Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1876 January 4 manuscript letter with poetry The British Library, Ashley Collection Ashley 1411 Commentary
Introduction

This letter to Watts-Dunton is one of three from late 1875 and early 1876 in which DGR renewed his interest in writing the ballad on Michael Scott. This letter is dated 4 January 1876.

Textual History: Composition

Textual History: Revision

Production History

Reception History

Iconographic

Printing History

Pictorial

Historical

Literary

Translation

Autobiographical

Bibliographic

Burnett, <hi rend="i"> <xref doc="a.z6611.l7.rad" link="dead" from="82" to="83">The Ashley Catalogue</xref> </hi> I. 82-83. Fredeman, <hi rend="i"> <xref doc="a.pr5246.a4.2002.rad" link="dead">Correspondence</xref> </hi> , 76.6.

DGR includes in a postscript to his letter some experiments with the metrical form for his project ballad on Michael Scott. The full text of the letter may be found in Fredeman, <hi rend="i">Correspondence</hi> , 76.6.

PS What do you think of such a metre as this for The Michael Scott ballad?—

And as each gulf-scooped wave rang home With hoary crest upraised, Like fire in snow the moonlight blazed Amid the champing foam.

The stanza, as wording, is only a first notion from a moonlight sea-walk last night. The metre is my own devising, & I used it once before in a small piece in my vol: called First Love. I'm not sure about its fitness.

PPS Or what do you say to running it into a three six-lined stanza?—

Down on his silence or “on him silent.” Which is best? the moon gazed Dumb from the unmeasured dome: And as each gulf-scooped wave rang home With hoary crest upraised, Like fire in snow in the moonlight blazed Amid the champing foam.

I fancy that is better for the purpose. What do you think? It wd refer to the moment when M.S. is left alone while his friends knock up the father.