Five Centuries Of English Poetry - From Chaucer to De Vere
By The Rev. George O'Neill
Published by Longmans, Green And Co: New York 1912
With Frontis
"Five Centuries of English Poetry: From Chaucer to De Vere, compiled by the Rev. George O'Neill, S.J., M.A., brings together a broad selection of English-language verse spanning the medieval period through to the nineteenth century. Published by Longmans, Green & Co. in 1912, the volume identifies O'Neill as Professor of English at University College, Dublin, and reflects his scholarly interest in both literary appreciation and teaching. Subtitled Representative Selections with Notes and Remarks on the Art of Reading Verse Aloud, it combines an anthology with guidance intended to deepen the reader's understanding of poetic language and expression. In his preface, O'Neill explains that the collection was prepared for methodical study, giving the book a distinctive educational purpose alongside its appeal as a substantial gathering of poetry.
The contents offer considerable variety, opening with Chaucer's Canterbury Tales prologue and moving through traditional verse, Gawain Douglas, Spenser, Sidney, Southwell and Shakespeare. Selections from Herrick, Donne, Milton, Lovelace, Crashaw, Dryden and Pope introduce contrasting forms of lyric, devotional, dramatic and satirical writing, while later contributions include Gray, Johnson, Goldsmith, Cowper and Blake. The Romantic poets are represented by Burns, Scott, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley and Keats, followed by writers including Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Robert Browning, Longfellow and Tennyson. Familiar works such as Sir Patrick Spens, Keats's Ode on Melancholy and Tennyson's Ulysses sit alongside less frequently encountered selections, encouraging exploration beyond a small circle of anthology favourites.
An especially interesting feature is O'Neill's introductory discussion of reading poetry aloud, which emphasises the close relationship between a poem's meaning and its musical qualities. He encourages readers to communicate thought, rhythm and sound together, preserving the character of verse while avoiding exaggerated delivery. This attention to spoken interpretation gives the collection an additional dimension for readers interested in recitation, literary performance and the history of English teaching. The selection also includes a notable range of Irish voices, among them Thomas Moore, James Clarence Mangan, Thomas Davis, Samuel Ferguson and Aubrey de Vere, while Edgar Allan Poe's The Haunted Palace further broadens its scope. Accompanying notes provide a supporting framework for the study and appreciation of the selected works.
This copy retains its attractive red cloth binding, decorated with black floral ornament and stylised lettering to the front cover, with gilt lettering and a lyre-and-wreath device to the spine. The frontispiece reproduces Raphael's allegorical figure Poetry, from a fresco medallion in the Vatican, providing an appropriate artistic introduction to the collection; a protective tissue guard is also present in the photographs. An ownership stamp reading "Ex Libris John O'Connor, Coshdeel, Rathkeale" adds a personal association with an earlier reader. Combining a decorative period binding, a classical frontispiece and a wide-ranging selection supported by literary guidance, this is an appealing volume for collectors of poetry anthologies, Irish literary scholarship and early twentieth-century educational books."
General wear, fading and rubbing to covers and spine as shown. Binding is decent with no loose pages however the rear hinge is split with wobbly back cover. A nice copy that presents well. Please study photos to further understand condition.
