BY RALPH WALDO EMERSON New and Revised Edition BOSTON HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY The Riverside Press, Cambridge 1885 PREFATORY NOTE. THIS Volume contains nearly all the pieces included in the POEMS and MAY-DAY of former editions. In 1876, Mr. Emerson published a selection from his Poems, adding six new ones, and omitting many.1 Of those omitted, several are now restored, in accordance with the expressed wishes of many readers and lovers of them. Also, some pieces never before published are here given in an Appendix; on various grounds. Some of them appear to have had Mr. Emerson's approval, but to have been withheld because they were unfinished. These it seemed best not to suppress, now that they can never receive their completion. Others, mostly of an early date, remained unpublished doubtless because of their personal and private nature. Some of these seem to have an autobiographic interest sufficient to justify their publication. Others again, often mere fragments, have been admitted as characteristic or as expressing in poetic form thoughts found in the Essays. In coming to a decision in these cases it seemed on 1 Selected Poems: Little Classic Edition. |