Product Details

1861 The Pleasures of Hope by Thomas Campbell is a classic Romantic-era poem that explores how hope sustains the human spirit through adversity and drives personal and societal progress. Part I: Resilience & Justice – Focuses on how hope comforts individuals in peril—such as soldiers, sailors, and mothers—while expressing a passionate desire for global freedom, specifically advocating for the abolition of the slave trade and the liberation of oppressed nations like Poland. Part II: Progress & Immortality – Details how hope inspires scientific and artistic genius, deepens domestic love, and ultimately triumphs over death through the human belief in the immortality of the soul. The Illustrators: What makes this specific printing desirable to collectors is not just the poetry, but the detailed woodcut engravings. It features artwork by prominent Victorian illustrators Birket Foster, George Thomas, and Harrison Weir. splitting in front/back, wear and foxing as seen, pencil