University of Maryland Libraries Digital Collections

Poem in honor of William Morris, printed by Kelmscott Press, October 1896


Alternate title:Poem honoring the life of William Morris
Summary:Poem in honor of William Morris, printed by Kelmscott Press, October 1896. This in the only known extant copy of a poem written and printed by Kelmscott Press workers at Morris's death. Poem reads: "William Morris died October 3rd, 1896. The idle singer of an empty day: Thy story, poet, otherwise we read, for lo! thy day, too early passed away, was full of lofty thought and knightly deed. Cast on an age of change, and stress, and strife, thy aim was still, through manhood up from youth, to beautify the meanest things of life with that rich light that flows from art and truth. Earth's soiled and motley pageant to thine eyes was sad; thy dream was of a golden dawn; thy quest was for an 'earthly paradise': A brighter waits thee now where thou art gone!" Note on back reads: "Printed at the Kelmscott Press on the death of William Morris by some of the workers there. Chas. MacLeish."
Provider:Kelmscott Press
Century:1801-1900
Place of origin – Continent:Europe
Place of origin – Country:United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Place of origin – Region:London
Temporal subject: 1891-1900
Topical subjects: Morris, William, 1834-1896
Source citation:. Poem printed by Kelmscott Press (1896). London. Rare Z 232 .M87U55 ephemera
Repository:Rare Books
Browse terms:Literature, Print Culture
Copyright holder:Public Domain
Collection:Digital Collections
Collection may be protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. To obtain permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the University of Maryland Libraries at http://digital.lib.umd.edu/archivesum/contact.jsp.