1197. Robert Southey to William Taylor, 27 June 1806*
Keswick. June 27. 1806.
[This letter is chiefly occupied with 350 lines of the ‘Curse of Kehama’, to which the following note is appended.]
‘The Curse’ wants force and appropriate dignity, and suits a witch better than the man-almighty who is to endanger the Trimourtee and drag the gods of the Sorgon through Hell (Padalon) at his chariot-wheels.1 Encourage me if you can. I suspect that by rhyming only occasionally I shall please nobody, and in truth there is no reason why the rhyme should be used in one place and not in another. You, however, know how little I care for present effect. Try your own ear, and give your opinion as a representative of those who are to read it some centuries hence. You shall have another sheet of ‘Kehama’ as soon as I can get it copied, for which I have not time myself. I shall very likely finish it this winter, instead of reviewing. God bless you! I had more to say, but must wait another opportunity and a clear sheet of paper.
Robert Southey
Notes
MS: MS untraced; text is taken from J. W. Robberds (ed.), A Memoir of the Life and
Writings of the Late William Taylor of Norwich, 2 vols (London, 1843)
Previously published: J. W. Robberds
(ed.), A Memoir of the Life and Writings of the Late William Taylor of Norwich, 2 vols (London, 1843), II, pp.
139–140. Back
1. Referring to the plot of The Curse of Kehama (1810). Southey also sent drafts of the poem to Wynn and to Landor. See volume 4 of Robert Southey: Poetical Works 1793–1810, gen. ed. Lynda Pratt, 5 vols (London, 2004). Back