He also composed and published twelve musical settings of Tennyson's poetry. His principal areas of work as an artist were threefold: as a draughtsman employed to make illustrations of birds and animals making coloured drawings during his journeys, which he reworked later, sometimes as plates for his travel books and as a (minor) illustrator of Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poems.Īs an author, he is known principally for his popular nonsense collections of poems, songs, short stories, botanical drawings, recipes and alphabets. The Book of Nonsense, The Owl and the PussycatĮdward Lear ( – 29 January 1888) was an English artist, illustrator, musician, author and poet, who is known mostly for his literary nonsense in poetry and prose and especially his limericks, a form he popularised. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original work.Children's literature, literary nonsense and limericks. CONTENTS THE JUMBLIES THE OWL AND THE PUSSY-CAT THE DUCK AND THE KANGAROO THE BROOM, THE SHOVEL, THE POKER AND THE TONGS THE DONG WITH A LUMINOUS NOSE CALICO PIE THE NEW VESTMENTS THE COURTSHIP OF THE YONGHY-BONGHY-BO INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF MY UNCLE ARLY THE CUMMERBUND This is very high praise from such asource and in the hope that similar pleasure may be given to manynew readers this new edition of the Nonsense Songs is issued. And of the author he said:I really dont know any author to whom I am half so grateful formy idle self as Edward Lear.

It was one ofthese books that John Ruskin declared to be the most beneficent 877568 Preface and innocent of all books yet produced. Butwhatever new form the changing public taste may cause them to take,they will remain as fresh to jthe-endas-they are^oday. Several generations of children-old as well asyoung-have already drunk delight from them, and it is tolerablysafe to prophesy that many editions will yet be demanded. Warne and CoĬontributing Library: Information and Library Science Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hillĭigitizing Sponsor: University of North Carolina at Chapel HillĬlick here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book. Title: The jumblies and other nonsense versesĪuthors: Lear, Edward, 1812-1888 Brooke, L. Image from page 16 of 'The jumblies and other nonsense verses' (1910)