Houghton 72S-700 - Masque of Poets, cover

''A Masque of Poets'' is an 1878 book of poetry published in the United States. The book included several poems, all published anonymously, including one by

Emily Dickinson Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886) was an American poet. Little-known during her life, she has since been regarded as one of the most important figures in American poetry. Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massac ...

. Names were not included in the compilation so that the original works could be judged on their own merit without any preconceived notions about the poet.

Background

The book compiled 68 poems as well as a "novellette in verse" titled ''Guy Vernon''. The book was published by

Roberts Brothers Messrs. Roberts Brothers (1857–1898) were bookbinders and publishers in 19th-century Boston, Massachusetts. Established in 1857 by Austin J. Roberts, John F. Roberts, and Lewis A. Roberts, the firm began publishing around the early 1860s. Ameri ...

as part of their "No Name" series and included both American and British poets.Phillips, Kate. ''Helen Hunt Jackson: A Literary Life''. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003: 146. The series was meant to allow readers to enjoy literature based on its inherent merit without knowing the author's popularity. As the ''

New York Graphic The ''New York Evening Graphic'' (not to be confused with the earlier ''Daily Graphic)'' was a Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published from 1924 to 1932 by Bernarr Macfadden. Exploitative and mendacious in its short life, the ''Gr ...

'' reported, readers were "forced to trust more to their own taste and judgment, and rely less on reputations". ''

Harper's Magazine ''Harper's Magazine'' is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts. Launched in New York City in June 1850, it is the oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. (''Scientific American'' is older, b ...

'' also wrote of the series:

"The idea is a good one, not only because it will pique the curiosity of the reader, but also because it will put the writers on their mettle to do their best, and absolutely prevent that trading on reputation which is the greatest vice of American ''litterateurs''."

''A Masque of Poets'' was edited by the poet George Lathrop and its contributors included

Amos Bronson Alcott Amos Bronson Alcott (; November 29, 1799 – March 4, 1888) was an American teacher, writer, philosopher, and reformer. As an educator, Alcott pioneered new ways of interacting with young students, focusing on a conversational style, and ...

, Louisa May Alcott, Thomas Bailey Aldrich,

Ellery Channing William Ellery Channing II (November 29, 1817 – December 23, 1901) was an American Transcendentalist poet, nephew and namesake of the Unitarian preacher Dr. William Ellery Channing. His uncle was usually known as "Dr. Channing", while the ne ...

, Annie Adams Fields, James T. Fields,

Sidney Lanier Sidney Clopton Lanier (February 3, 1842 – September 7, 1881) was an American musician, poet and author. He served in the Confederate States Army as a private, worked on a blockade-running ship for which he was imprisoned (resulting in his catch ...

Rose Hawthorne Lathrop Rose Hawthorne Lathrop, also known as Mother Mary Alphonsa, (May 20, 1851 – July 9, 1926) was an American writer and religious leader. She was a Catholic religious sister, social worker, and foundress of the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne. ...

, James Russell Lowell, Louise Moulton,

Christina Rossetti Christina Georgina Rossetti (5 December 1830 – 29 December 1894) was an English writer of romantic, devotional and children's poems, including " Goblin Market" and "Remember". She also wrote the words of two Christmas carols well known in Bri ...

, Franklin Benjamin Sanborn, Edmund Clarence Stedman, Celia Thaxter, and Sarah Chauncey Woolsey. ''Guy Vernon'', the long piece that concluded the book, was written by

John Townsend Trowbridge John Townsend Trowbridge (September 18, 1827 – February 12, 1916) was an American author. Early life Trowbridge was born in Ogden, New York, to Windsor Stone Trowbridge and Rebecca Willey. His birthplace was a log cabin his father constructe ...

. Emily Dickinson, who rarely published poetry in her lifetime, contributed her poem " Success is Counted Sweetest" (published as "Success") at the urging of

Helen Hunt Jackson Helen Hunt Jackson (pen name, H.H.; born Helen Maria Fiske; October 15, 1830 – August 12, 1885) was an American poet and writer who became an activist on behalf of improved treatment of Native Americans by the United States government. She de ...

. Jackson first wrote to Dickinson to encourage a contribution on August 20, 1876, before attempting to persuade her in person on October 10. Dickinson appealed to Thomas Wentworth Higginson to tell Jackson he disapproved of a contribution, but Jackson insisted: "You say you find great pleasure in reading my verses", she wrote to Dickinson, "Let somebody somewhere whom you do not know have the same pleasure in reading yours." She revived the idea in April 1878 and offered to send the poem now known as "Success is Countest Sweetest" because she already knew it by heart. After the book's publication, Jackson wrote to Dickinson, "I suppose by this time you have seen the ''Masque of Poets''. I hope you have not regretted giving me that choice bit of verse for it." Jackson also published a review of the book, singling out "Success" as "undoubtedly one of the strongest and finest wrought things in the book", before noting conjecture on the poem's authorship would be worthless. Dickinson thanked the publisher Thomas Niles for including her poem, to which he responded somewhat apologetically: "you have doubtless perceived twas slightly changed in phraseology."Sewall, Richard B. ''The Life of Emily Dickinson''. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2003 (sixth edition):

References

External links

''A Masque of Poets''
(1878) (full book scan at archive.org) {{DEFAULTSORT:Masque of Poets, A 1878 poetry books American poetry anthologies