1716. Robert Southey to Walter Savage Landor, 26 November 1809

1716. Robert Southey to Walter Savage Landor, 26 November 1809 ⁠* 

Nov. 26. 1809.

Yesterday I finished Kehama. [1]  There will be a few things in the course of corrections to explain the story more clearly, – a few trifles altered, – & many improvements to be made in metre. I do not expect that it will meet with more admirers than Gebir, [2]  but shall be thoroughly satisfied if they thxx <those> whom it does meet with are admire it as much. There is too little beauty in the Poem & far too little human interest. I doubt even whether currently there be enough to excite curiosity for the end, – wonder at the strangeness of the tale & the monstrosity of the fiction is all that will be felt.

I shall begin Pelayo [3]  as soon as the plan is sufficiently compleated.

RS.

Notes

* Address: To/ Walter Savage Landor Esqr./ 1 Boyce’s Buildings/ Clifton/ Bristol
MS: Victoria and Albert Museum, National Art Library Manuscripts, MS Forster 48 D.32 MS 8. ALS; 2p.
Unpublished. BACK

[1] Southey’s poem The Curse of Kehama (1810). BACK

[2] Landor’s poem Gebir (1798). BACK

[3] The working title of the poem that was published as Roderick, the Last of the Goths in 1814. BACK

Addressee

Landor, Walter Savage (1775–1864)
The Collected Letters of Robert Southey, Part Three
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