PREFACE

CONTENTS

NOTE

THE BALLAD OF READING GAOL

POEMS AVE IMPERATRIX

TO MY WIFE WITH A COPY OF MY POEMS

MAGDALEN WALKS

THEOCRITUS A VILLANELLE

GREECE

PORTIA TO ELLEN TERRY

FABIEN DEI FRANCHI TO MY FRIEND HENRY IRVING

PHEDRE TO SARAH BERNHARDT

SONNET

AVE MARIA GRATIA PLENA

LIBERTATIS SACRA FAMES

ROSES AND RUE

FROM 'THE GARDEN OF EROS'

THE HARLOT'S HOUSE

FROM 'THE BURDEN OF ITYS'

FLOWER OF LOVE

FOOTNOTES

INCLUDING

THE BALLAD OF
READING GAOL

METHUEN & CO. LTD.
36 ESSEX STREET W.C.
LONDON

‘The Ballad of Reading Goal’ was first published by Leonard Smithers, February 13th, 1898.  Second Edition, February, 1898.  Third Edition, March 1898.  Fourth Edition, March 1898.  Fifth Edition, March 1898.  Sixth Edition, 1898.  Seventh Edition, 1899.  Eighth and Cheaper Edition (1s. net).  Methuen & Co., Ltd., August 1910.  Ninth Edition, September 1910.  ‘The Ballad of Reading Goal’ was published anonymously under the signature of C. 3. 3.  The author’s name first appeared on the title-page of the Seventh Edition.  It was included in the Collected Edition of the author’s Poems published by Messrs. Methuen in 1908 and 1909.

Wilde’s Poems were first published in volume form in 1881, and were reprinted four times before the end of 1882.  A new edition with additional poems, including Ravenna, The Sphinx, and The Ballad of Reading Gaol, was first published (limited issues on hand-made paper and Japanese vellum) by Methuen & Co. in March 1908.  A further edition (making the seventh) with some omissions from the issue of 1908, but including two new poems, was published in September 1909.  Eighth Edition, November 1909.  Ninth Edition, December 1909.