Curfew Must Not Ring Tonight (Illustrated)

* Complete with 22 original illustrations, carefully preserved and formatted for optimal display. * The Poem's complete text has been transcribed and formatted specifically for Kindle. One of the most popular poems of the 19th century, Curfew Must Not Ring Tonight is a narrative poem written in 1867 by Rose Hartwick Thorpe (also sometimes known as Rosa Hartwick Thorpe), an American from Indiana. It was written when she was 16 years old and first published in the Detroit Commercial Advertiser. This is the primary work for which she is remembered. Set in the time of Oliver Cromwell in 17th century England, it was reputedly a favorite of Queen Victoria. Although it went through countless editions in the 19th century, Curfew Must Not Ring Tonight has fallen into relative obscurity. This new rpront edition is based on an 1882 edition, notable for its many engravings. Please note that this edition has preserved all spelling and punctuation from the original text. Thus, what might appear as a typo, such as spelling "to-night" with a dash, is in fact deliberate. The illustrations have been formatted and rearranged so as to optimize the flow of reading. The story involves Bessie, a young woman whose lover, Basil Underwood, has been arrested, thrown in prison by the Puritans, and sentenced to die that night when the curfew bell rings. Knowing that Oliver Cromwell will be late in arriving and thus not available in time for her to plead for a pardon, the young woman begs the old sexton to prevent the ringing of the curfew bell. When he refuses, she is forced to take matters into her own hands. It is written in trochaic heptameter, which has a very classic and dramatic cadence.