The Raven and Other Poems
by Poe, Edgar Allan
- Used
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Brooklyn, New York, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: Wiley and Putnam, 1845. First edition in book form of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven," the single most famous American poem of the nineteenth century, first published earlier that year in the New York Evening Mirror (under Poe's own name) and The American Review (under a pseudonym). Partly inspired by the early lyrics of Elizabeth Barrett (later Browning), to whom he dedicated this volume of poems, Poe composed "The Raven" in trochaic octometer, with a deranged musicality all his own. The elements are familiar even to those who don't read poetry: the "midnight dreary," the silk-curtained chamber, the raven perched upon the bust of Athena, the relentless refrain that drives the narrator mad. "'Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken! / Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door! / Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!' / Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore.'" Even before publication, Poe knew he had a sensation on his hands. When a friend described an early reading of the poem as "fine, uncommonly fine," Poe responded: "Is that all you can say for this poem? I tell you it's the greatest poem ever written." Poe's fame only increased with the appearance of contemporary parodies like "The Owl" and "The Polecat": a contemporary recalls, "'The Raven' became known everywhere, and everyone was saying 'Nevermore.'" The publication of "The Raven" paved the way for Wiley and Putnam's publication of Poe's Tales, the collection that introduced his pioneering detective fiction to a wider audience that same year. BAL 16147. A near-fine copy of a landmark in American literature. Octavo, measuring 7.25 x 5 inches: [6], 91, [1]. Early twentieth-century full russet calf, boards single-ruled in gilt, raised bands, black morocco spine labels, spine single-ruled and lettered in gilt, gilt dentelles, marbled endpapers. Handwritten slip tipped onto second fly leaf noting "inner gilt dentelles by Zaehnsdorf." Lacking original wrappers, half title, and ads. Joints expertly repaired, a few light scratches to lower board.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Honey & Wax Booksellers (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 1001883
- Title
- The Raven and Other Poems
- Author
- Poe, Edgar Allan
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Publisher
- Wiley and Putnam
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 1845
- Weight
- 0.00 lbs
- Keywords
- literature, poetry
Terms of Sale
Honey & Wax Booksellers
All Honey & Wax books are guaranteed as described, and returnable for any reason within ten days.
About the Seller
Honey & Wax Booksellers
Biblio member since 2015
Brooklyn, New York
About Honey & Wax Booksellers
Honey & Wax offers a mix of classics and surprises: rare first printings, original artwork, unexpected survivals, books with no downloadable equivalent. Founders of the Honey & Wax Book Collecting Prize. Our bookroom is open by appointment in Brooklyn, NY.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- BAL
- Bibliography of American Literature (commonly abbreviated as BAL in descriptions) is the quintessential reference work for any...
- 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....
- 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...
- Half Title
- The blank front page which appears just prior to the title page, and typically contains only the title of the book, although, at...
- 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...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Wrappers
- The paper covering on the outside of a paperback. Also see the entry for pictorial wraps, color illustrated coverings for...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- 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...
- Octavo
- Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...