The Poetical Works of William Collins; With a Memoir

A lush assortment of mid‑century verse opens this listening experience, ranging from exotic eclogues that transport the ear to distant deserts, to tightly wrought odes that celebrate pity, liberty, and the quiet dignity of everyday life. Collins’s poetic voice moves from the playful moral of “Selim” to the solemn elegy for Colonel Ross, offering listeners a taste of his melodic imagination and his deft balance of classical form with heartfelt sentiment. The collection also includes insightful observations on these works, shedding light on the poet’s technical choices and the cultural currents that shaped them.

The accompanying memoir traces the poet’s humble beginnings in Chichester, his schooling at Winchester, and the early promise that blossomed amid familial expectations and financial strain. Listeners will hear how a promising literary career was shadowed by illness and how his talent, largely unrecognized in his lifetime, began to gleam for later generations. This blend of verse and biography provides a vivid portrait of an artist whose gentle genius was both nurtured and thwarted by the circumstances of 18th‑century England.