Citation: George MacDonald, The Poetical Works (London: Chatto & Windus, 1893), 2 vols.

Bulloch (1925):

The Poetical works of George MacDonald: in two volumes. London: Chatto & Windus, 1893.

8vo

  • vol. I., pp. viii + 448
  • vol. II., pp. x + 424

Printed by Ballantyne, Hanson & Co., Edinburgh.

  • 1911. Reissued, from same type, on thin paper by Chatto & Windus.

This anthology is important as being the last that MacDonald undertook. He was working at it in the summer of 1892 when he wrote to Carey Davies: “ I hope, with you, I shall not have to change much in my new edition of poems. It is very troublesome, but one cannot let wrongness of any kind willingly pass.” Although the collection contains 438 poems— against the 72 in the “Poems” of 1857—it does not represent all MacDonald’s work, for in addition to the absence of the “ Diary of an old soul,” the translations in “ Exotics,” and the poems in “ Phantastes,” there are other omissions. It opens with the longer poems,

  • “Without and within,”
  • “A Hidden life,”
  • “A Song of the seashore,”
  • “The Disciple,” and
  • “The Gospel women,” and
  • gives “A Threefold cord” (in altered form).

It divides the rest into twelve sections, ending with the (42) “Scots songs and ballads,” which were reprinted separately by John Rae Smith, Aberdeen, in 1893.

Many of the poems appeared first in the prose works to which it would be interesting to trace them if space permitted: suffice to say the gem “A Song of Zion,” was first given in “Alec Forbes ” (iii., 195). Others were published in magazines. Herewith I give the appearances of some of these:—

  • “ Autumn Song.” Illustrated London News (Oct. 3, 1863), xliii., 331
  • “ Poetical works,” i., 341-342.
  • “An Autumn Wind.” In (pp. 183-184) “Love Songs of Scotland,” edited by Robert W. Douglas (New York: New Amsterdam Book Company, 1901).
  • “ Baby.” Day of Rest (Nov., 1876), v., 381; Current Literaturey New York (May 1904), xxxvi., 577; “Poetical works” (1893), ii., 158-159.
  • “ Better things.” Day of Rest (Feb. 7, 1874), ii., 78, with illustration : “ Poetical Works,” i., 403-404.
  • “Blind Bartimeus.” Day of Rest (Jan. 15, 1876), v., 28: “Poetical works” (1893), i., 316-317.
  • “Born on Christmas eve” and “Died on Christmas eve” Queen (Dec. 21, 1861), i., 299.
  • “The Carpenter,” dated Hastings, Christmas day, 1871. Good Words (1872), xiii., 96-97, with woodcut by Arthur Hughes: “Poetical works” (1893), ii., 236-237.
  • “ Christmas, 1873.” Day of Rest (Jan. 3, 1874), ii., 6: “ Poetical works” (1893), i., 301-302.
  • “ Cottage songs for cottage children.” Good Words for the Young (1874), pp. 24-25, 113, 287, with three illustrations. In the “Three-fold cord” section of the “Poetical works” (1893), ii., 348-352.
  • “Drawing water.” Good Words for the Young (1874), p. 113, and Day of Rest (Dec. 11, 1875), iv., 786: “ Poetical works,” ii., 350-351.
  • “The Earl o’ Quarterdeck”: a new old ballad. Published anonymously, with a woodcut in the Argosy (Jan. 1866), i., 145-148. It appears as “ The Yerl o’ Waterydeck ” in the “ Poetical works “
  • (1893), ii., 381-384.
  • “The Foolish harebell.” Good Words for the Young (1872), iii., 180: “ Poetical works ” (1893), ii., 355-356.
  • “The Haunted house.” Scribner’s Magazine (Jan., 1874), xii., 272-274. This poem was suggested by a drawing by Thomas Moran, the American painter. It is carefully discussed by Ronald MacDonald, (“From a northern window,” pp. 111-112), who thinks Poe would have let the “lurking truth of the horror’s spiritual source slip between his fingers. Richard Watson Gilder told MacDonald (March 8, 1873) that he had “ curdled and groaned and wept” over the poem. It opens the “Threefold cord ” section of the ” Poetical works,” (1893), ii, 203-208.
  • ” He heeded not.” Good Words (March, 1863), iv., 226, sixteen verses with an illustration by Thomas Graham: fourteen verses in the ” Poetical works” (1893), i., 415-416.
  • “King Cheer.” Illustrated London News (Dec. 24, 1864), xlv., 650.
  • “A Meditation of St. Eligius.” Good Words (Jan., 1865), vl, 16. Another poem, “A Vision of St. Eligius,” appeared in Scribner’s Monthly (Feb., 1873, v., 506) and in the “Threefold cord” section of the ” Poetical works ” (1893), ii., 268-269.
  • “Morning hymn.” Good Things (second part of 1876), p. 332: ” Poetical works” (1893), i., 318-319.
  • “The Mother of Jesus.” Sunday Magasine (Sept., 1865), i., 910-911, 45 four-line verses. This had appeared as “ The Mother Mary,” the first of ” The Gospel Women ” in the “ Poems” of 1857. It re-
  • appears as “The Mother of Jesus” (47 four-line verses) in the “ Poetical works” (1893), i, 221-227.
  • “Oh thou of little faith.” “Poems” (1893), i., 337: and in Current Literature, New York (April, 1900), xxviii, 81.
  • “The Old Garden.” Good Words (1872), xxiii., 57-58: also in the “Threefold cord” section of the “Poetical works” (1893), ii., 237-242.
  • “ The Prism.” Day of Rest (Jan.17,1874), ii., 31-32: also in the “Three fold cord ” section of the “ Poetical works ” (1893), ii., 251-252.
  • “ A Roadside poem,” signed G. M. D. Day of Rest (1876), v., 412.
  • “The Sangreal : part of the story omitted in the old romances.” Good Words (June, 1893), iv., 454-455, with woodcut plate by H. J. Lucas; “ Poetical works ” (1893), ii., 65-72. MacDonald in sending it, Nov. 2,1859, to Lady Byron says that Once A Week refused the poem “on the ground that one of Tennyson’s best poems is Sir Galahad!”
  • “ The Seashell.” Good Things (second part of 1876), p. 159.
  • “ The Shadows ”: signed G. M. D. Day of Rest (1876), v., 507: “ Poetical works” (1893), ii., 408-409.
  • “The Sheep and the goats.” Good Words (Sept., 1863), iv., 671, with woodcut plate by Frederic Sandys; “Poetical works” (1893), i., 416-417.
  • “ The Sighing of the shell.” Argosy (June, 1866), ii., 64-65, with woodcut.
  • “ Song of the millenium.” Sunday Magazine (Sept. 1867), iii., 845.
  • “ A Song of the Sea,” signed G.M.D. Day of Rest (Dec., 1876), v., 624.
  • “ That holy thing.” In the ” Threefold cord ” section of the “ Poetical works” (1893), ii., 323. Reprinted in the Chantaquan (Dec. 1908), liii., 131, and the Bellman, Minneapolis (Dec. 22,1917), xxiii., 677.
  • “ Three pairs and one.” Good Things (first part of 1876), p. 223.
  • “The Two Gordons” first appeared in ” Adela Cathcart” (chap, xvi.); “ Poetical works” (1893), ii., 385-390.
  • “ Under the mistletoe.” Illuztrated London Ntws (Dec. 23, 1865), xlvii., 623. Reprinted as “ The Mistletoe ” in the “Poetical works” (1893), ii., 152-154.
  • ” What makes summer ? A child’s question.” Illustrated London News (July 25, 1863), xliii., 95; ” Poetical works” (1893), ii., 148-151.
  • “Willie’s question.” Good Words for the Young (Nov., 1869-Feb., 1870 and Oct., 1870), ii., 35, 70-71, 126-127, 195, 658: illustrated. Reprinted in the 44 Poetical works” (1893), ii, 169-178.
  • “The Wind and the moon,” Good Words for the Youngs iii., 79-81: in the “Threefold cord” section of the 44 Poetical works” (1893), ii., 352-354.
  • “What the owl knows.” Good Things (second part of 1876), p. 120.

Twenty unpublished poems: Greville MacDonald’s “George MacDonald and his wife ” (1924) prints for the first time nineteen poems, including one dated Jan., 1847 : pp. 81-82, 95, 122, 398, 431,433, 473, 478, 480, 485, 488, 505, 512, 521, 523, 529, 559. A twentieth (p. 533), 44 for the dedication of Shelley House” on the Embankment, 1887, was published in the Vineyard (April, 1912).

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