Select Poems of Sidney Lanier

Sidney Lanier was a prominent post-Civil War American poet and musician known for his rhythmic, nature-inspired verses. This specific volume of his selected poems emerged as part of the late 19th-century effort to memorialize his contribution to Southern literature, intended to bring his lyrical, often complex work to a wider reading public following his untimely death from tuberculosis in 1881.

The editorial selection for such volumes often sought to highlight Lanier's mastery of the relationship between music and poetry. These editions were designed with the restrained, aesthetic sensibilities of the Victorian era, aiming to provide a definitive, accessible record of his most celebrated pieces like The Marshes of Glynn, which remain central to academic discussions of his technical innovation in verse form.