Death's Jest-Book and Other Writings

'If there were dreams to sell What would you buy?'Thomas Lovell Beddoes (1803-1849) was among the most talented writers of the Romantic age. A prodigiously gifted poet and dramatist, he already had two published volumes to his name and seemed set to assume a role at the vanguard of English letters when, in 1825, he left England to pursue anatomical studies at the University of Göttingen. He continued to write while overseas, treating his great themes of love, death, and nature, and attempting to unite the spirits of scientific and artistic enquiry, but published almost nothing. When he died by suicide in Basel in 1849, Beddoes left behind him a trail of thwarted hopes and ruined ambitions, but also a body of work that speaks eloquently and without self-pity about its own failures and disappointments. This volume presents a wide selection of Beddoes's writings across a variety of genres. At its heart lies his sprawling masterpiece Death's Jest-Book, an extravagant attempt to resurrect the tradition of Shakespearean verse drama that obsessed Beddoes throughout his writing life. Also included are a range of Beddoes's intricate and tender lyric poems, a sample of his grotesque comic verse, a number of dramatic fragments, and a selection of his witty and opinionated letters, which present his views on the writers of his age and reflect on his life in the German lands.ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.