The English Dance Of Death Vol 2

Excerpt from The English Dance of Death, Vol. 2: From the Designs of Thomas Rowlandson English Dance of Death And ev'ry day and ev'ry hour May yield him to the Tyrant's power. While hanging on his mother's breast, Nourish'd and fondled and carest, How oft he mocks the tender care That dotes as he is clinging there: He scarce moans forth one feeble cry, And his first morrow sees him die: Nay, e'er his eyes behold the sun, Perhaps his puny race is run. If Death could feel, its stem decree Would spare our prattling Infancy: That age whose looks, whose words dispense Th attractive charms of Innocence; That April morn on which appears The blended scene of smiles and tears, Whose pantomimic grace affords The meaning of half utter'd words: But Infancy's enchanting smile Does not th' unpitying power beguile; For when the fatal arrow flies, The prattlers dumb, - the Cherub dies. Nor yet when Reason's dawning hour Beams on the mind its rip'ning power, About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

The English Dance of Death was originally published in 1815. Comprised of two volumes, it features 72 metrical compositions by William Combe, which are meant to accompany 72 illustrated plates designed by Thomas Rowlandson. Focusing on an earnest expression of character, the authors unravel each of the situations. The plates and the written work find a connection using a thoughtful blend of humour and a wonderful purpose of virtue, carefully presented through an artistic effort. The English Dance of Death is a worthy example of artistic literature that serves to give the reader a glimpse into an older, more superstitious theme. The authors did a terrific job in adding their own present-day originality and uniqueness to this historic subject matter.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Elina Gertsman's multifaceted study introduces readers to the imagery and texts of the Dance of Death, an extraordinary subject that first emerged in western European art and literature in the late medieval era. Conceived from the start as an inherently public image, simultaneously intensely personal and widely accessible, the medieval Dance of Death proclaimed the inevitability of death and declared the futility of human ambition. Gertsman inquires into the theological, socio-historic, literary, and artistic contexts of the Dance of Death, exploring it as a site of interaction between text, image, and beholder. Pulling together a wide variety of sources and drawing attention to those images that have slipped through the cracks of the art historical canon, Gertsman examines the visual, textual, aural, pastoral, and performative discourses that informed the creation and reception of the Dance of Death, and proposes different modes of viewing for several paintings, each of which invited the beholder to participate in an active, kinesthetic experience.

Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

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