Eidolon; or, The Course of a Soul; and Other Poems

This volume gathers a meditative suite of Victorian poems that wander from mythic echoes to intimate reverie. At its heart is the allegorical long poem “Eidolon,” which sketches a solitary figure on a desert island as he wrestles with the restless currents of his own mind. Through a sequence of scenes—first a bleak isolation, then a night lit by stars, followed by the warm counsel of nature—the speaker traces a gradual turn from misanthropic doubt to a clearer, purposeful voice guided by a higher poetic spirit.

The surrounding pieces expand the collection’s range, offering lyrical portraits of classical characters, heartfelt odes to music and love, and reflective sonnets on truth, sorrow, and the everyday wonder of the natural world. Though rooted in 19th‑century language, the poems speak to any listener seeking the slow, steady awakening of creative insight and the quiet resolve that steadies a wandering soul.