Page:The Raven; with literary and historical commentary.djvu/11



PREFACE.

Raven may safely be termed the most popular lyrical poem in the world. It has appeared in all shapes and styles, from the little penny Glasgow edition to the magnificent folios of Mallarmé in Paris and Stedman in New York. The journals of America and Europe are never weary of quoting it, either piece-meal or in extenso, and no collection of modern poetry would be deemed complete without it. It has been translated and commented upon by the leading literati of two continents, and an entire literature has been founded upon it. To make known that literature, and to present the cream of it in a comprehensive and available form, is the object of this little volume.

April, 1885.