Offered here is a lovely illustrated collection of the poetry of Thomas Hood (1799-1845) the celebrated English poet remembered best for the poems 'The Bridge of Sighs' and 'The Song of the Shirt'. He was hailed by William Michael Rossetti  (1829-1919) the English writer and critic as being the 'finest English poet' between the generations of Tennyson and Shelley.

Title page reads:

The Poetical Works of Thomas Hood – Edited With a Critical Memoir by William Michael Rossetti – Illustrated by Gustave Doré – First Series  - The Grosvenor Poets – Published by William Collins, Sons & Co., London. There is no publishing date but it seems this edition was published in 1875. The original folio edition was published in 1870.

There is a 31 page introduction and biography by Rossetti as a preface.

Contents include: The Bridge of Sighs; The Plea of the Midsummer Fairies; Jack Hall; Miss Kilmansegg and Her Previous Leg; Bianca’s Dream; The Song of the Shirt; To a False Friend; The Forsaken; Sonnet – Death; Song – “O Lady leave they silken thread”; Birthday Verses; Flowers; Ballad – “She’s up and gone”;  The Two Swans – A Fairy Tale;   A Legend of Navarre; The Sea of Death; To My Wife; Ode to the Cameleopard; The Wee Man – A Romance; The Mermaid of Margate; The Fall of the Deer; Tim Turpin – A Pathetic Ballad; The Monkey-Martyr – A Fable; A Winter Nosegay; A Sailor’s Apology for Bow Legs;  The Demon Ship;  The Dream of Eugene Aram; Queen Mab; and The Cigar to name only a very few.

There are  8 full page black and white illustrations throughout the text and including the frontispiece by Gustave Doré (1832-1883) the noted French printmaker, illustrator, painter, caricaturist and sculptor.

The margin edges of each page are outlined in red. The text block is gold gilt edged.

This 400 page, approximately 7 by 5 inch hardcover is in fairly good condition. The pages are clear. The sewn binding is intact but is a bit loose between pages 66 and 67. The inside front cover hinge is a bit weak. The blue cloth cover with gold embossed sunflowers on the front cover has some wear along the edges; more so at the top and bottom of the spine. The spine has darkened.