The British Poets: James Thomson.
THOMSON, James.
The British Poets: James Thomson.
The Extra-Illustrated Crown edition of The Poems of James Thomson
London: British Literary Society, n.d.
$1,250.00
In Stock
Item Number: 151519
The extra-illustrated Crown edition of the poems of James Thomson, limited to ten numbered and registered sets. Duodecimo, two volumes, publisher’s exquisite deluxe full morocco binding with gilt titles and elaborate botanical gilt tooling to the spine in four compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling and elaborate botanical gilt decorations to the front and rear panels, ivory and green floral inlays to the spine and panels, full morocco doublures elaborately decorated in gilt, silk-watered endleaves, all edges gilt, ribbons bound in, extra-illustrated with tissue-guarded hand-coloured plates. In near fine condition.
Scottish poet and playwright James Thomson (1700–1748) was a significant figure in eighteenth-century literature, whose work contributed to a growing emphasis on nature and sensibility in poetry. Best known for his long descriptive poem The Seasons (1726–1730), Thomson moved beyond neoclassical conventions by foregrounding the emotional and aesthetic experience of the natural world, anticipating key aspects of Romanticism. His use of blank verse, vivid imagery, and reflective tone allowed him to explore connections between nature, morality, and human experience. In addition to The Seasons, he is also remembered for the patriotic song “Rule, Britannia!” from his masque Alfred (1740). Thomson’s work helped shape a shift in poetic taste toward greater attention to individual perception and the sublime qualities of the natural environment.
