The Death-Wake

Thomas Tod StoddartProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.3

Word count: 94K words
Chapters: 10

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Death-Wake by Thomas Tod StoddartAuthor: Stoddart, Thomas Tod, 1810-1880,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Aug 27, 2005

Editor's review

The Death-Wake is a long poem by the Scottish poet Thomas Tod Stoddart (1810–1880), belonging to the tradition of English-language narrative poetry with Gothic and maritime atmospheres. Stoddart was known for his depictions of rivers, angling, and natural scenery, and this work builds a dark, fatalistic mood through metrical narrative, suited to readers interested in nineteenth-century English poetry and Gothic imagination. As an early public-domain ebook released by Project Gutenberg, its value lies not in bestseller status or celebrity endorsement but in offering a free, searchable nineteenth-century long poem text for close reading, prosodic analysis, and comparative reading by researchers and poetry lovers. It is best approached as a narrative poem with a plot: first read through to grasp the narrative arc, then return to images and sound patterns. Because it is a public-domain ebook without modern annotation, readers must look up unfamiliar words and allusions themselves, making it suitable for those willing to read slowly and take notes.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Poetry readers who enjoy nineteenth-century English narrative verse and Gothic atmosphere
Literature students studying English prosody and maritime and death imagery
Enthusiasts who need a free public-domain English text for close reading

Not a good fit for

General Chinese readers seeking a modern vernacular translation
Readers who prefer fast-paced plot-driven fiction and lack patience for poetry
Learners who need an edition with detailed annotations and an introduction

Reading tips

First read through to grasp the narrative thread of the long poem, then revisit images and rhythm section by section.
Keep an English dictionary at hand to look up unfamiliar words and allusions, making marginal notes as you go.
Read alongside other nineteenth-century English narrative poems to compare techniques of atmosphere.
Read one or two stanzas at a time aloud to appreciate the rhythm and sound effects.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book in Chinese or English?

The original is in English, a public-domain ebook from Project Gutenberg, with no Chinese translation included.

What background is needed to read this book?

Some English reading ability is needed, along with a dictionary to understand nineteenth-century poetic vocabulary and syntax, and basic patience with poetic meter.

Does this edition have notes or an introduction?

The Gutenberg edition mainly preserves the public-domain original and usually contains no modern notes or introduction, so readers must consult background materials themselves.

Is it suitable as research material?

It can serve as material for close reading of nineteenth-century English long poems, but citations should verify edition information and publication sources.

Comments

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About the author

Thomas Tod Stoddart Author · Scottish · 1810–1880

Thomas Tod Stoddart (1810–1880) was a Scottish poet and angling writer. He is best known for The Death-Wake, and he also wrote essays on angling, bringing together poetry and the subject of fishing. Public information about him is limited, and most details of his life are difficult to verify; his literary reputation rests chiefly on this work and his angling essays. His writing combines a poetic quality with personal experience, and he holds a place among nineteenth-century Scottish writers who took angling as their theme, with his works offering a point of reference for later angling literature.