PREFACE. イ MIDWINTER and kindred themes form the contents of this number of Through the Year with the Poets. How completely the field of English verse has been gone over in its preparation the reader may judge for himself. Several poems, which the editor would have been glad to place between these covers, have been omitted, either at the request of their authors, or because, for various reasons, it has not been considered advisable to insert a disproportionate number of poems by any one writer; but, aside from these limitations, the editor feels confident that the poetry of January is at least fairly represented here. Several of the poems are now printed for the first time, while the majority of them are not contained in other anthologies, and will, therefore, be new to many readers. This feature, which was a noticeable one in December, will remain equally prominent in the subsequent issues of this series. Much care has been taken in the preparation of the biographical data in the list of authors, and trustworthy authorities have been freely consulted. With regard to many living writers, accurate data have been furnished by the writers themselves; and a number of such details ar here given for the first time. The editor gratefully acknowledges the many cour tesies received from authors in England and America and the publishers desire to thank Messrs. Houghton, Mifflin & Co.; Chas. Scribner's Sons; J. B. Lippincott Co.; Cupples, Upham & Co.; Ticknor & Co.; Lee & Shepard; Roberts Brothers; Jansen, McClurg & Co.; and The Century Company, for permission to copy from the authors of whose works they control the copyright; and to Miss Emily C. Weeks, for permission to use two poems by her brother, the late Robert Kelley Weeks. CAMBRIDGE, MASS., December 21, 1885. |