Literature William Morris

william morris prolific writer of poetry, fiction, essays, , translations of ancient , medieval texts. first poems published when 24 years old, , polishing final novel, sundering flood, @ time of death. daughter may s edition of morris s collected works (1910–1915) runs 24 volumes, , 2 more published in 1936.

morris began publishing poetry , short stories in 1856 through oxford , cambridge magazine founded friends , financed while @ university. first volume, defence of guenevere , other poems (1858), first book of pre-raphaelite poetry published. dark poems, set in sombre world of violence, coolly received critics, , discouraged publishing more number of years. haystack in floods , 1 of poems in collection, 1 of better-known poems. grimly realistic piece set during hundred years war in doomed lovers jehane , robert have last parting in convincingly portrayed rain-swept countryside. 1 minor poem masters in hall (1860), christmas carol written old french tune. christmas-themed poem snow in street , adapted land east of sun , west of moon in earthly paradise.

morris met eiríkr magnússon in 1868, , began learn icelandic language him. morris published translations of saga of gunnlaug worm-tongue , grettis saga in 1869, , story of volsungs , niblungs in 1870. additional volume published under title of 3 northern love stories in 1873.

in last 9 years of life, morris wrote series of imaginative fictions referred prose romances . these novels – including wood beyond world , @ world s end – have been credited important milestones in history of fantasy fiction, because, while other writers wrote of foreign lands, or of dream worlds, or future (as morris did in news nowhere), morris s works first set in entirely invented fantasy world. these attempts revive genre of medieval romance, , written in imitation of medieval prose. morris s prose style in these novels has been praised edward james, described them among lyrical , enchanting fantasies in english language.

on other hand, l. sprague de camp considered morris s fantasies not wholly successful, partly because morris eschewed many literary techniques later eras. in particular, de camp argued plots of novels heavily driven coincidence; while many things happened in romances, novels still weakened dependence on it. nevertheless, large subgenres of field of fantasy have sprung romance genre, indirectly, through writers imitation of william morris.

early fantasy writers lord dunsany, e. r. eddison , james branch cabell familiar morris s romances. wood beyond world considered have heavily influenced c. s. lewis narnia series, while j. r. r. tolkien inspired morris s reconstructions of germanic life in house of wolfings , roots of mountains. young tolkien attempted retelling of story of kullervo kalevala in style of house of wolfings; tolkien considered of literary work have been inspired reading of morris, suggesting unable better morris s work; names of characters such gandolf , horse silverfax appear in @ world s end.

sir henry newbolt s medieval allegorical novel, aladore, influenced morris s fantasies. james joyce drew inspiration work.