"The Bard. A Pindaric Ode"

• Archive Work ID: poems.bapo
• Uniform Title: "The Bard. A Pindaric Ode" [e-text]
• First Line: 'Ruin seize thee, ruthless king!
• Language: English
• First Published: 1757
• References: Starr/Hendrickson (eds.), Complete Poems (1966), 18-24; Lonsdale (ed.), Poems (1969), 177-200
• Summary: Begun late in 1754 and initially abandoned by August 1755, then taken up again, completed and revised, between May and August 1757. Gray sent the earlier parts of the poem in letters to Thomas Wharton, dated 6 August 1755 (ll. 1-56), and to Richard Stonhewer, dated 21 August 1755 (ll. 63-100), the latter part (ll. 111-144) to William Mason, dated [24 or 31] May 1757. First published, as "Ode II." in Odes by Mr. Gray (1757), 12-21.

1 Manuscript:

• • Archive MS ID: mss.0289 (Source: EAD/XML)
  • Title: "Bard"
  • Date: 3rd August 1824
  • Physical Description: 1 page; transcript (ll. 128-130) in the hand of R. Barneby
  • Language: English
  • Location: PR2752 1823e copy 2 v.1 Sh.Col., front endleaf 2v (b), Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C., USA <http://www.folger.edu/>
  • References: Nelson (ed.), Union First Line Index. Dec. 2012. Folger Shakespeare Library. 15 February 2013. <http://firstlines.folger.edu/detail.php?id=295130>
  • Contents: Transcript of three lines (ll. 128-130) in the hand of R. Barneby, beginning "In buskinn'd measures move" and signed "R. Barneby Aug.t 3rd. 1824."