The Springtide of Life - Poems of Childhood - Illustrated by Arthur Rackham

The Springtide of Life – Poems of Childhood is an anthology, collected by Edmund Gosse, containing Algernon Charles Swinburne’s enchanting verses for children. Swinburne (1837 – 1909) was a celebrated English poet and playwright, who was nominated for the Nobel Prize in every year from 1903 to 1907, and again in 1909. His poems are here decorated with the delicate and romantic illustrations of Arthur Rackham. Gosse once told Rackham that ‘this volume will not merely be the best book of the present art-season, but a joy to all sensitive people for years and years to come.’ He was correct in his estimations, and this text continues to delight readers both young and old, almost a century after its initial publication.

Arthur Rackham (1867-1939), was one of the most celebrated painters of the British Golden Age of Illustration (which encompassed the years from 1850 until the start of the First World War), Rackham’s artistry is quite simply, unparalleled. Throughout his career, he developed a unique style, combining haunting humour with dream-like romance. Presented alongside the text of ‘The Springtide of Life – Poems of Childhood’, his illustrations further refine and elucidate Swinburne and Gosse’s masterful storytelling.