The Rhymester: or, The Rules Of Rhyme

By the Late Tom Hood; Edited, With Additions, By Arthur Penn

Published by D. Appleton And Company, New York, 1882

About this Item

First of the D. Appleton American Edition. Once listed, it will be the Only First Edition of the Appleton edition for sale anywhere on the Internet. Up to 1901, D. Appleton First Editions were identified by having the same date on the title page and verso copyright page, the copyright page showing no later printings. That is the case here. The book was first published in 1869 in England by Frederick Warne. I'm not finding any copies of the 1869 edition for sale anywhere on the Internet. I believe that it's very likely that my edition is the First American Edition. I also believe my 1882 edition is the earliest one for sale anywhere on the Internet. And, it's in very good condition. You can see the covers in the photos provided. They are very clean, and they have very little wear, which is pretty remarkable taking into account how old the book is. The gilt lettering and design on the front and the spine is still very bright. The corners and edges are in very good shape. The only wear is a small spot of rub-through at the bottom edge of the spine and very light loss at the very top edge of the spine (see second photo). All three page edges are gilt, and the gilt is very shiny. The spine is moderately slanted forward, but the book is quite solidly bound. There are no cracks or spaces between the covers and end papers, and there are none between any of the facing pages in the book. The binding isn't what you're going to see in a book published in 2019, but it is quite solid cover to cover. Both inside covers and end papers are a soft flour design. The pages throughout are in very good condition. There are only a few instances of light spotting. In the main, the pages are very clean and in very good shape. I didn't see any turned-down corner creases, no dogeared corners. There are no markings. There is a small signed name off the top edge of the title page (E. Gifford, Oct. 1883). Also a little down and to the left (To Grace, Christmas 92). There is no other writing to be found anywhere in the book.There is also a very light blending stain just off the bottom edge of the first few blank end papers and a couple of early pages. It disappears after that and is quite minor. That's also the case on the last couple of rear blank end papers, disappearing before it reaches the final page which is a description of this book. I'll quote a little bit from that description: 'Three whole chapters have been added to the work by the American editor--- one on the sonnet, one on the rondeau and the ballade, and a third on other fixed forms of verse; while he has dealt freely with the English author's text, making occasional alterations, frequent insertions, and revising the dictionary of rhymes.' The New York Observer is quoted: " Its chapters relate to matters of which the vast majority of those who write versus are utterly ignorant, and yet which no poet, however brilliant, should neglect to learn. The rules can never teach the art of poetry, they may serve to greatly mitigate the evils of ordinary versification. This is instructive treaties contains a dictionary of rhymes, and an examination of classical measures, and comments on various forms of verse-writing. We earnestly commend this little book to all those who have thoughts which cannot be expressed except in poetic measures." From the Cincinnati Commercial: "This little book was written by the only son of the famous Thomas Hood. He was one of the editors of London 'Fun'. He inherited much of his father's literary vein, now delicate, tender, and fanciful, now satiric, and anon bringing tears with it's unutterable pathos. Mr. Hood died in 1874." The full title of the book might be said to be: 'The Rhymester: or, The Rules Of Rhyme. A Guide to English Versification. With a Dictionary of Rhymes, an Examination of Classical Measures, and Comments Upon Burlesque, Comic Verse and Song-writing.'.

Seller Inventory # 002770

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Rhymester: or, The Rules Of Rhyme
• Publisher: D. Appleton And Company, New York
• Publication Date: 1882
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Very Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • One-Of-A-Kind
  • Crème de la crème
  • Antiquarian