The Testament Of Beauty

The Testament of Beauty (1929) by Robert Bridges – Sold by Crappy Old Books

Part philosophical musing, part poetic marathon, The Testament of Beauty is the final, and arguably most eccentric, work of Britain’s once-laureled poet Robert Bridges. Written when he was well into his 80s and no longer bothering to make things easy for anyone, this sprawling poem (yes, all one poem) is a curious blend of mysticism, classicism, Anglican musings, and good old-fashioned literary stubbornness.

First published by Oxford University Press in 1929, The Testament of Beauty is Bridges’ attempt to distil a lifetime of thought into unrhymed verse. Don’t come here looking for plot—this is more Pindar than Potter. But for readers who enjoy deciphering beautifully dense language, pondering the nature of truth and beauty, or simply collecting dusty books with serious eyebrows, this is a real treat.

Condition: Hardcover with just enough foxing and faded gilt to remind you it’s nearly a century old. Smells of libraries and ambition.

Crappy Old Books – Keeping obscure masterpieces confusing and affordable since way before 1929.

Very old and in good condition. The dust cover has been treating with a plastic overlay, but its not complete, almost as though they didn’t have enough, or even enough of the right size, and so theres a small section on the front cover without the plastic protection and about half of the back without it. This doesn’t really effect things, but if your a collector of only the best speciments it might bother you. The page edges are untrimmed which is nice.

Keep browsing: See more Poetry books Other books by Robert Bridges