Poems and Ballads (Third Series)

A vivid tapestry of Victorian imagination, this collection gathers Swinburne’s most daring verses, ranging from tempest‑tossed odes to intimate garden musings. The poet’s signature blend of lush, musical language and bold, often controversial subject matter shines through in pieces like “March: an Ode,” where the force of the season is personified with mythic vigor, and “The Commonweal,” a spirited call to communal idealism.

Interwoven with historical sketches and lyrical portraits, the poems explore love, nature, and the restless spirit of rebellion. Readers will encounter playful ballads, mournful elegies, and vivid character sketches—Nell Gwyn, Caliban, and the wistful “Tyneside Widow”—each rendered in Swinburne’s unmistakable rhythm and daring diction.

The volume also offers a glimpse into the poet’s fascination with myth and the sea, as in “Pan and Thalassius” and “A Lyke‑wake Song,” where ancient motifs collide with contemporary concerns. Listeners can expect an exhilarating journey through a landscape of sound, emotion, and unapologetic passion, all bound together by the poet’s masterful command of form.