Idylls of the King
by Alfred Lord Tennyson
- Used
- Hardcover
- Condition
- Very Good+
- Seller
-
York, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
IDYLLS OF THE KING
BY
ALFRED
LORD TENNYSON
POET LAUREATE
London
MACMILLAN AND CO.
1894
DESCRIPTION
(iv) + 421 + (iv)
Book measures 180mm x 130mm approximately.
Nicely bound by Bumpus in full russet-brown grained calf. Spine with five gilt-ruled raised bands with superb gilt decoration with central red roses in the "arts & crafts" style to compartments with author, title and date in gilt. Gilt inner ruled borders with cornices and marbled end-papers and paste-downs. Top page edges in gilt, remainder uncut. Illustration to title page verso.
CONDITION
In overall very good condition. The binding is in firm condition although the front board hinge seems a little weak, but holding very well. There are a few very minor surface scratches, and very light bumping to upper board corners. Internally the pages are very clean and bright although with some foxing spots developing towards title page, verso and end-papers.
Overall, a very nicely bound volume in good condition.
INTERESTING
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson FRS (1809 to 1892) was a British poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign and remains one of the most popular British poets.
Idylls of the King, published between 1859 and 1885, is a cycle of twelve narrative poems which retells the legend of King Arthur, his knights, his love for Guinevere and her tragic betrayal of him, and the rise and fall of Arthur's kingdom.
The whole work recounts Arthur's attempt and failure to lift up mankind and create a perfect kingdom, from his coming to power to his death at the hands of the traitor Mordred. Individual poems detail the deeds of various knights, including Lancelot, Geraint, Galahad, and Balin and Balan, and also Merlin and the Lady of the Lake. There is little transition between Idylls, but the central figure of Arthur links all the stories. The poems were dedicated to the late Albert, Prince Consort.
The Idylls are written in blank verse. Tennyson's descriptions of nature are derived from observations of his own surroundings, collected over the course of many years. The dramatic narratives are not an epic either in structure or tone, but derive elegiac sadness in the style of the idylls of Theocritus. Idylls of the King is often read as an allegory of the societal conflicts in Britain during the mid-Victorian era.
Synopsis
The Idylls of a King was published between 1859 and 1885 as a collection of 12 narrative poems by the English Poet, Lord Alfred Tennson. The collection regales the legend of King Arthur and his knights, his love for Guinevere and her tragic betrayal of him, and the rise and fall of Arthur's kingdom. The whole work recounts Arthur's attempt and failure to lift up mankind and create a perfect kingdom, from his coming to power to his death at the hands of the traitor Mordred. Individual poems detail the deeds of various knights, including Lancelot, Geraint, Galahad, and Balin and Balan, and also Merlin and the Lady of the Lake. The poems were dedicated to the late Prince Consort Albert. The Idylls are written in blank verse.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Melmoth Books (GB)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- MB0303
- Title
- Idylls of the King
- Author
- Alfred Lord Tennyson
- Format/Binding
- Bumpus
- Book Condition
- Used - Very Good+
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- Macmillan and Co.
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1894
- Weight
- 0.00 lbs
Terms of Sale
Melmoth Books
About the Seller
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Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Edges
- The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...
- Remainder
- Book(s) which are sold at a very deep discount to alleviate publisher overstock. Often, though not always, they have a remainder...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Raised Band(s)
- Raised bands refer to the ridges that protrude slightly from the spine on leather bound books. The bands are created in the...
- Hinge
- The portion of the book closest to the spine that allows the book to be opened and closed.
- Title Page
- A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...
- Verso
- The page bound on the left side of a book, opposite to the recto page.
- Calf
- Calf or calf hide is a common form of leather binding. Calf binding is naturally a light brown but there are ways to treat the...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....