The Lyrical Century

"In this book I have attempted to include 100 of the most lyrical poems of the 19th century - not necessarily the best poems, but the most lyrical. What I mean by "lyrical" can best be defined by the poems themselves. It would be foolish, for instance, to pretend that Sir Walter Scott is a better poet than Wordsworth, yet I have found five poems of his I consider more lyrical than anything Wordsworth ever wrote, whereas of Wordsworth I have included only two little-known and notably minor pieces, but in them he breathes a purer lyrical air than is his wont. While many books of 19th century poetry bleed over the edges of the century, I have held strictly to poems written in the 19th century itself. For instance, you will not find Hardy's "Ballad-singer"; though it is his most lyrical piece, and certainly sounds Victorian, it was written in his Hardy's old age during the 20th century, and was thus not eligible for inclusion. I have further restricted the poets included to those born not earlier than 1770 or later than 1869 - those outside these limits seem to belong to another century, though they may have written partly in the 19th. In making my selection, I have read all the eligible poems from nearly all the poets included here and a good many not included. I have used no one's judgment but my own. Your selection would no doubt be different, but I hope you find these a delight. -MD." -introductory note