Poetical Works of ROBERT BRIDGES
Volume I
London Smith, Elder & Co 15 Waterloo Place 1898
OXFORD: HORACE HART PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY
POETICAL WORKS OF ROBERT BRIDGES
VOLUME THE FIRST CONTAINING
LIST OF PREVIOUS EDITIONS
PROMETHEUS.
1. Private Press of H. Daniel. Oxford, 1883.
2. Chiswick Press. Geo. Bell & Sons, 1884.
EROS AND PSYCHE.
1. Chiswick Press. Geo. Bell & Sons, 1885.
2. Do. do. Revised, 1894. This last volume is still on sale.
GROWTH OF LOVE.
1. XXIV Sonnets. Ed. Bumpus, 1876.
2. LXXIX Sonnets. Daniel Press, 1889. This edition was copied in America.
3. Do. do. Black letter. 1890.
PROMETHEUS THE FIREGIVER
A MASK IN THE GREEK MANNER
ARGUMENT
PROMETHEUS COMING ON EARTH TO GIVE FIRE TO MEN APPEARS BEFORE THE PALACE OF INACHUS IN ARGOS ON A FESTIVAL OF ZEUS · HE INTERRUPTS THE CEREMONY BY ANNOUNCING FIRE AND PERSUADES INACHUS TO DARE THE ANGER OF ZEUS AND ACCEPT THE GIFT · INACHUS FETCHING ARGEIA HIS WIFE FROM THE PALACE HAS IN TURN TO QUIET HER FEARS · HE ASKS A PROPHECY OF PROMETHEUS WHO FORETELLS THE FATE OF IO THEIR DAUGHTER · PROMETHEUS THEN SETTING FLAME TO THE ALTAR AND WRITING HIS OWN NAME THEREON IN THE PLACE OF ZEUS DISAPPEARS
THE CHORUS SING (1) A HYMN TO ZEUS WITH THE STORIES OF THE BIRTH OF ZEUS AND THE MARRIAGE OF HERA WITH THE DANCES OF THE CURETES AND THE HESPERIDES (2) THEIR ANTICIPATION OF FIRE WITH AN ODE ON WONDER (3) A TRAGIC HYMN ON THE LOT OF MAN (4) A FIRE-CHORUS (5) A FINAL CHORUS IN PRAISE OF PROMETHEUS
ALL THE CHARACTERS ARE GOOD · PROMETHEUS PROLOGIZES · HE CARRIES A LONG REED
DRAMATIS PERSONÆ
PROMETHEUS. INACHUS. ARGEIA. SERVANT. IO (persona muta). CHORUS: Youths and maidens of the house of Inachus.
The SCENE is in ARGOS before the palace of Inachus. An altar inscribed to Zeus is at the centre of the stage.
[Pg 5]
PROMETHEUS THE FIREGIVER
PROMETHEUS.
SERVANT.
[Exeunt R.
13
Enter CHORUS, and from the palace Inachus bearing cakes: he comes to stand behind the altar.
CHORUS.
Semichorus of youths.
[They dance.
INACHUS.
Semichorus of maidens.
[They dance.
Prometheus reenters.
35
38
[Exit.
Chorus.
39
ODE.
41
SECOND PART
Reenter from the palace Inachus, with Argeia and Io.
INACHUS.
ARGEIA.
50
Chorus
61
[Prometheus, after writing his name on the altar, goes out unobserved.]
[Exit Ar.
63
[Exit part of Chorus.
ODE
[Enter other part of Chorus.
71
EROS & PSYCHE
A NARRATIVE POEM IN TWELVE MEASURES
THE STORY DONE INTO ENGLISH FROM THE LATIN OF APULEIUS
72
73
EROS & PSYCHE
FIRST QUARTER SPRING
PSYCHE’S EARTHLY PARENTAGE · WORSHIPPED BY MEN · & PERSECUTED BY APHRODITE · SHE IS LOVED & CARRIED OFF BY EROS
75
EROS & PSYCHE
MARCH
1
2
76
3
4
5
77
6
7
8
78
9
10
11
79
12
13
14
80
15
16
17
81
18
19
20
82
21
22
23
83
24
25
26
84
27
28
29
85
30
31
86
APRIL
1
2
87
3
4
5
88
6
7
8
89
9
10
11
90
12
13
14
91
15
16
17
92
18
19
20
93
21
22
23
94
24
25
26
95
27
28
29
96
30
97
MAY
1
2
98
3
4
5
99
6
7
8
100
9
10
11
101
12
13
14
102
15
16
17
103
18
19
20
104
21
22
23
105
24
25
26
106
27
28
29
107
30
31
109
EROS & PSYCHE
SECOND QUARTER SUMMER
PSYCHE’S SISTERS · SNARING HER TO DESTRUCTION · ARE THEMSELVES DESTROYED
111
JUNE
1
2
112
3
4
5
113
6
7
8
114
9
10
11
115
12
13
14
116
15
16
17
117
18
19
20
118
21
22
23
119
24
25
26
120
27
28
29
121
30
122
JULY
1
2
123
3
4
5
124
6
7
8
125
9
10
11
126
12
13
14
127
15
16
17
128
18
19
20
129
21
22
23
130
24
25
26
131
27
28
29
132
30
31
133
AUGUST
1
2
134
3
4
5
135
6
7
8
136
9
10
11
137
12
13
14
138
15
16
17
139
18
19
20
140
21
22
23
141
24
25
26
142
27
28
29
143
30
31
145
EROS & PSYCHE
THIRD QUARTER AUTUMN
PSYCHE’S WANDERINGS
147
SEPTEMBER
1
2
148
3
4
5
149
6
7
8
150
9
10
11
151
12
13
14
152
15
16
17
153
18
19
20
154
21
22
23
155
24
25
26
156
27
28
29
157
30
158
OCTOBER
1
2
159
3
4
5
160
6
7
8
161
9
10
11
162
12
13
14
163
15
16
17
164
18
19
20
165
21
22
23
166
24
15
26
167
27
28
29
168
30
31
169
NOVEMBER
1
2
170
3
4
5
171
6
7
8
172
9
10
11
173
12
13
14
174
15
16
17
175
18
19
20
176
21
22
23
177
24
25
26
178
27
28
29
179
30
181
EROS & PSYCHE
FOURTH QUARTER WINTER
PSYCHE’S TRIALS AND RECEPTION INTO HEAVEN
183
DECEMBER
1
2
184
3
4
5
185
6
7
8
186
9
10
11
187
12
13
14
188
15
16
17
189
18
19
20
190
21
22
23
191
24
25
26
192
27
28
29
193
30
31
194
JANUARY
1
2
195
3
4
5
196
6
7
8
197
9
10
11
198
12
13
14
199
15
16
17
200
18
19
20
201
21
22
23
202
24
25
26
203
27
28
29
204
30
31
205
FEBRUARY
1
2
206
3
4
5
207
6
7
8
208
9
10
11
209
12
13
14
210
15
16
17
211
18
19
20
212
21
22
23
213
24
25
26
214
27
28
29
217
THE GROWTH OF LOVE
219
THE GROWTH OF LOVE
1
220
2
221
3
222
4
223
5
224
6
225
7
226
8
227
9
228
10
229
11
230
12
231
13
232
14
233
15
234
16
235
17
236
18
237
19
238
20
239
21
240
22
241
23
242
24
243
25
244
26
245
27
246
28
247
29
248
30
249
31
250
32
251
33
252
34
253
35
254
36
255
37
256
38
257
39
258
40
259
41
260
42
261
43
262
44
263
45
264
46
265
47
266
48
267
49
268
50
269
51
270
52
271
53
272
54
273
55
274
56
275
57
276
58
277
59
278
60
279
61
280
62
281
63
282
64
283
65
284
66
285
67
286
68
287
69
289
NOTES
NOTE ON EROS AND PSYCHE.
This Poem is in all essentials a faithful translation of Apuleius’ story, the chief differences being that first, in the way of form, I have, for the sake of balance and contrast, chosen to lengthen the introductory portion; I have also located the story in Crete, and this gives rise to occasional description.—The description of the sunset on p. 83 is a portrait of the phenomena which followed the great eruption of Krakatoa.—Secondly, in the way of ethic I have made a gentler characterization of Psyche, who deserves more care in handling the motives of her conduct than was perhaps felt in Apuleius’ time and country.
The acrostic on p. 102 is a remnant of my original dedication. In the first edition there was a note acknowledging the frequent translations from the Greek, and other robberies: and in the second, in which I altered the spelling, I gave my reasons for that, in so far as it is unusual. These reasons291 I need not repeat here, especially as the spelling is not at all as I should wish to see it. I advocate liberty in these matters instead of the conventional tyranny. But I will add here that the main inconsistencies of the punctuation are owing to this volume being a reprint of three separate books. The stops are intended solely for the readers’ convenience; and almost anything is better than the regulations of a methodic punctuation, which by assuming the possibility of indicating all the varieties of grammatical structure and rhythmic pause by four symbols, cannot be applied without perpetual vexation and injury.
NOTE ON THE GROWTH OF LOVE.
It was not my wish or intention to offer these sonnets to the public, but since they have been published in America without my permission, and some of them have appeared in collections of poetry in this country, and have been mentioned in professional criticism, I have thought it wise to come to their rescue, and include them in this edition of my poems; to which end I have, while this volume was in the press, revised them; cutting out ten, and amending the worst places in others where I could.292 As they now stand they still make an imperfect poem, but one for which I need not further apologize.
Note on Sonnet XIX.—The octett forms part of my ‘Purcell Commemoration Ode,’ published as No. 2 of Elkin Mathews’ ‘Shilling Garland,’ 1896, and set to music by Dr. Hubert Parry.
XXXV. The argument is partly from Michael Angelo’s Madrigal xix.
LXIII. Partly from the anonymous sonnet No. 3793 in the Libro reale, ‘Io vivo di speranza.’
LXIV. The first quatrain from Michael Angelo’s Madrigal, ‘Beati voi.’
LXVII. ‘The sunsets of five years ago,’ which happen to be described on p. 83 of this volume.
R. B.
1898.
Transcriber's Notes
Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. Variations in hyphenation spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.
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