The Ballads and Other Poems of Robert Louis Stevenson

by Robert Louis Stevenson

A strong Very Good, and striving hard for Near Fine. See scans and description. New Charles Scribner's Sons, 1895 copyright (on copyright page), 1909 publishing (on title page). The Ballads and Other Poems of Robert Louis Stevenson (which includes A Child's Garden of Verses, Underwoods, and Ballads; Volume XVI in the overall Scribner's Stevenson series). Octavo, textured red cloth boards with gilt imprinting on front cover and spine, Top Edge Gilt, uncut fore-edge, frontis with tissue-guard, contents + 359 pp. + 3 blank leaves. Better than Very Good, with just a modestly sunned spine keeping this example out of Near Fine condition. No writing or other besmirchment of the immaculate interior, either. Sharp, handsome and more than deserving of a Very Good Plus rank. Firmly bound. See scans. L20n

Genres: Poetry

359 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1909

About the author

Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer, and a leading representative of English literature. He was greatly admired by many authors, including Jorge Luis Borges, Ernest Hemingway, Rudyard Kipling and Vladimir Nabokov.

Most modernist writers dismissed him, however, because he was popular and did not write within their narrow definition of literature. It is only recently that critics have begun to look beyond Stevenson's popularity and allow him a place in the Western canon.

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars
For when is was written (mostly published in 1885, some of these copyrighted a few years later) several of these are quite fascinating. Yet to read this to a child today, I think most would be very confused. Heck, I was confused. I had to look up a lot of words reading this! And that takes away from poetry fro me. I have a fairly extensive vocabulary but even I stumble over words. Some weren't even English! So with no pictures, unknown lost patterns of speak (at least here in the US), and tricky words it is not an easy read! The first part is more children friendly and more likely to be understoon but once you get to the Underwoods and Ballads, all bets are off. If you are looking for a challenging book of poetry this is great. For kids, stick the regular Garden of Verses only. Some are really cute (like The Unseen Playmate).

[Devon · Rating 4 out of 5]

People, of course, are generally more interested in Jekyll and Hyde or Treasure Island when it comes to Robert Louis Stevenson, but he did poetry, too. This work has the ones he did for children as well as ballads inspired by his homeland of Scotland and the islands he visited upon which he regained his poor health. The ballads were my favourite—I have ALWAYS loved a song that tells a story—and as for his other poetry, there often seems to be a tinge of melancholy, with references to aging and dying found frequently. Some special favourites:

In Foreign Lands I especially loved the lines “I saw the dimpling river pass/And be the sky’s blue looking-glass.” The Land of Counterpane is brilliant. Escape at Bedtime “These shone in the sky, and the pail by the wall/Would be half full of water and stars.” The Moon “The squalling cat and the squeaking mouse/The howling dog by the door of the house/The bat that lies in bed at noon/all love to be out by the light of the moon.” From a Railway Carriage has the delightful clatter and clack like one is on the rails. To Willie and Henrietta “But time which none can bind/While flowing fast away, leaves love behind.” To Will H. Low “Coasting mountain clouds and kiss’t/By the evening’s amethyst.” Requiem is another lovely one. In Memorian F.A.S. is touching. In his Scottish collection “But the nearest friends are the auldest friends/And the grave’s the place to seek them.” Trusty Wife I enjoyed. To My Wife a fragment had a lovely bit “You see the rosy sun, despoiled of light/Hung, caught in thickets, like a schoolboy’s kite.”

[Katherine Simmons · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy his novels but not these