1883 Rare Book - The Defence of Guenevere, King Arthur by William Morris

Author: William Morris. 
Title: The Defence of Guenevere, and Other Poems.
Publisher: London, Ellis & White, 1883.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 7 x 5 inches.
Pages: viii + 248 pages.
Binding: Attractive and very good period half black polished calf leather binding over textured plum cloth boards. Spine with raised bands, gilt compartments, and red leather title label (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. All edges gilt.
Content: Very good, near fine content (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing - as shown, armorial bookplate of Killingley Richard Hedges to front pastedown -  as shown).

Estimate: (USD 250–350).

The book: A beautifully bound 1883 reprint of The Defence of Guenevere, William Morris’s first published collection of poetry, originally issued in 1858. This unaltered reprint preserves the early voice of one of the central figures of the Pre-Raphaelite and Arts & Crafts movements. The volume opens with the titular dramatic monologue in the voice of Guenevere and includes Arthurian themes, medievalist lyricism, and narrative poems such as Rapunzel, King Arthur's Tomb, Sir Galahad, and The Judgment of God. The dedication to Dante Gabriel Rossetti highlights the book’s deep ties to the Pre-Raphaelite circle.

The author: William Morris (1834–1896) was a British poet, novelist, designer, and socialist activist, widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the decorative arts and a founding member of the Arts and Crafts Movement. His literary debut with The Defence of Guenevere positioned him alongside Rossetti in reinvigorating medieval romantic themes in Victorian poetry. Morris later became known for his epic poems, utopian writings, and for establishing the Kelmscott Press.