Ashley MS A1915

'A Channel Passage and Other Poems'. 'A Word for the Navy'; [1879-1886]. Draft of Stanzas 3, 4, 10, 11, and 12, and of a discarded stanza, written on both sides of a folio leaf of blue laid paper. Watermark 'J. Allen & Sons / Superfine / 1879'. As follows: Stanzas 3, 4 and 10, in the order 10, 3, 4, f. 111a; stanzas 11, 12 and the discarded stanza, in the order discarded stanza, 11, 12, f. 111b. All the stanzas, with the exception of the discarded one, are numbered in Swinburne's hand. '10' was originally '7', then was altered to '8', '9', and finally '10'. All the stanzas on f. 111a have been cancelled. An alternative version of stanza 12 (last three lines) comes between the discarded stanza and 11. The final text found in the draft differs by three lines and twelve words from that printed on pp. 96, 97 and 99-101 of the first edition. The poem is first mentioned in Swinburne's correspondence on 1 July 1886 (C. Y. Lang, Swinburne Letters, v, 1962, p. 148). It was first published in Sea Song and River Rhyme, 1887, and also provided the text for one of Wise's forgeries, A Word for the Navy, 1887, ostensibly published by the fictitious firm of 'Charles Ottley, Landon, & Co.' (see John Carter and Graham Pollard, The Firm of Charles Ottley, Landon & Co., 1948).

Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: A Channel Passage and Other Poems by Algernon Charles Swinburne: 1904: Autogr. drafts and fair copies of poems included in.

includes:

• ff. 111, 111b Poetry ENGLISH: Algernon Charles Swinburne, poet: Poem, 'A Word for the Navy', stanzas 3, 4, 10, 11 and 12 and discarded stanza, by Algernon Charles Swinburne: [1879-1886]: Autogr. draft.