Books

Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co, 1911. First Trade Edition. Hardcover. Near fine/very good. Robinson, Charles. First U.S. trade edition as illustrated by Robinson, quarto size, [128] pp., in original dust jacket. Percy Bysshe Shelley's (1792-1822) "The Sensitive Plant" is a delicate fairy fable about ephemeral beauty and the aspiration to follow dreams when the reality of the senses fails. It was first published in 1820 in "Prometheus Unbound" along with some of Shelley's best known work; here it is re-imagined with the hazy watercolour illustrations of prolific children's book illustrator Charles Robinson (1870-1937). Though paired with Shelley long after his death, they are well matched, "his black and white illustration reflects the influence of Beardsley and Walter Crane, and his watercolour illustrations have delicacy and sensitivity, greatly helped by the four colour process early in the century as the alternative to lithography. By incorporating lettering into the page…

The Sensitive Plant is a lyrical poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley that tells the story of a Sensitive Plant in a garden and uses this as a metaphor for a philosophical reflection on the relationships between life, death, and rebirth, and the transient nature of beauty and happiness.

Consult a bibliographic reference for the works of Percy Bysshe Shelley to compare first edition points such as binding, publisher's markings, and presence of any prefaces or notes exclusive to the first edition.