Reading sonnets from a 1796 book. No big deal, right?

There are so many great things about the New York Public Library. While the Mid-Manhattan has books that can circulate, the Schwarzman Building (right across the street and the one with the lions) has several amazing collections.

These collections require scheduling an appointment and being very careful because many of these manuscripts are rare copies or extremely dated.

While many of the collections sound fascinating, there was one collection that really stood out: The Carl H. Pforzheimer Collection of Shelley and His Circle.

The Shelley is Percy Shelley aka the husband of Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein. 

The Shelley's were prominent during the British Romanticism, aka the 18th and 19th century. Which is basically a specialty (so to speak) of mine.

Also, guess what period Mary Robinson wrote her sonnets and other works?

The 18th and 19th century.

So the collection was perfect. And is perfect. I had the opportunity to visit it on Thursday and actually spend some time reading from the collection.

I read Sappho and Phaon (the sonnet sequence that will be the focus of my thesis). Guess when it was published and made?

1796.

Yeah. It was a beautiful small book. And I was so thrilled to be in the collection. While visitors walked past the room and attempted to get in, I was actually in the room, surrounded by rare manuscripts from the 18th and 19th century.

Incredible.

I'm planning on going back on Saturday and read the rest of Sappho and Phaon as well as some letters Robinson wrote and her memoir.

I'm so excited. (If you couldn't tell!)