A Selection from the Poems of William Morris

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About this book

Greek legends and medieval storytelling meet in William Morris's verse, gathered here with a memoir by Francis Hueffer. The memoir introduces Morris as a poet, decorative designer and socialist, tracing his studies at Oxford and his friendship with Burne Jones. It explains how classical myths and Icelandic sagas helped shape his writing, giving a context for the early ballads and longer narrative poems discussed in the volume.

Passages from Love is enough show another side of this poetry through recurring refrains and images of changing seasons. Leaves, blossoms and ripening fruit express the growth of love before it is fully understood. Other lines set affection and forgiveness beside sorrow, uncertainty and the comforts money can buy. Readers interested in nineteenth century poetry can explore the relationship between Morris's interest in old stories and the emotional arguments carried by his verse.

About the author

William Morris

William Morris (1834-1896) was an English poet, designer, and socialist whose wallpapers and textiles helped define the Arts and Crafts movement. Late in life he turned to prose romances set in imagined lands, and those books are now regarded as foundations of modern fantasy literature.