Wilcox’s 1883 collection gathers short lyrics of desire, jealousy, regret and friendship after love, with titles like ‘Impatience’, ‘Communism’ and ‘The Beautiful Blue Danube’. Their candour about passion was thought daring enough that a Chicago publisher turned the book down as immoral, and the controversy helped it sell.
Sentimental, musical verse that was enormously popular in its time and remains a period pleasure. Download the free EPUB.