"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.0017 (Source: EAD/XML)
  • Title: [untitled]
  • Date: [24 or 31] May 1757
  • Physical Description: [1?] page; autograph fair copy, partial [ll. 111-144]
  • Language: English
  • Location: Henry W. And Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature, New York Public Library, New York, NY, USA <https://www.nypl.org/about/divisions/berg-collection-english-and-american-literature>
  • References: Smith (ed.), Index (1989), item GrT 13, 80; Toynbee/Whibley (eds.), Correspondence (1971), letter no. 238, vol. ii, 501-503 (subscription required); Starr, "Gray's Craftsmanship" (1946), particularly pp. 424-429
  • Contents: Autograph fair copy, of ll. 111-144, untitled but headed "Antist: 3^a." and beginning "Haughty Knights, & Barons bold", in a letter to William Mason, [24 or 31] May 1757.