Mrs. Hemans — The Better Land

London, Day & Son Limited, 1867. First edition. Cloth. A smart first illustrated edition of this poem from Felecia Dorothea Hemans, an English-Welsh poet. First and only edition illustrated by Helen Baker. Illustrated with a colour title page and nine colour plates of verse and images. Collated complete. A charming and insightful poem written in part as a conversation between mother and child on the idea of the "better land" or heaven. With moral and religious teachings. This edition intends to explore the alliance between poetry and painting. Written by Felicia Dorothea Hemans, an English poet who identified as Welsh by adoption, regarded as the leading female poet of her day. Hemans was immensely popular during her lifetime in both England and the United States, and was second only to Lord Byron in terms of sales. Illustrated by Helen Baker, a British artist and illustrator. In the original full cloth binding with gilt. Externally, smart with light rubbing and bumping to the extremities. Fading to the spine and rear board with the odd small mark to the cloth. Small splits in the cloth to the head and tail of the spine. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are very bright with light scattered spotting and minor age toning to the extremities. Good . Ill.: Helen Baker. Good .